War Games
by darkpower
Summary: Queen Beryl has been revived by Rubeus, but is she the same person she once was? Where's the Hizrounswa, and how far will Rubeus go to achieve his goals? Part of the Silver Project Saga and the Blinded By Revenge sequel.
1. Shaky Alliance

WAR GAMES  
CHAPTER 1  
Shaky Alliance

Written by Darkpower  
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language

Just so you are aware, this is the sequel to Blinded By Revenge. If you didn't read it yet, go and read that before because you will have a better understanding of what is going on here.

* * *

Rubeus was standing in the middle of the barren room. Well, not completely barren if he counted the numerous purple energy swirls that were flying around the room. They came from a hole in the wall he had made by removing a small panel that sealed it. He was shocked, but that wasn't why. He was only hoping that this was the power of the Hizrounswa death crystal that he had been looking for.

What he found was a lot more than what he could've ever imagined. Standing before him was the one woman that he had thought was dead for good, She was also the one person he thought had the Hizrounswa. Finally, she was someone that he referred to many times over as the legend herself. He was staring right at the one person whose presence caused his disbelief: Queen Beryl. He had resurrected the Dark Kingdom, for sure. Or had he?

Rubeus took a couple of steps towards the figure that looked exactly like Beryl. He did, after all, think that the Hizrounswa was on the other side of that panel. Thus, maybe he had actually found the crystal and this was just some projection coming from the crystal. "Are you...really her?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Beryl answered. It certainly sounded like her: she had a hint of rasping in her voice. Otherwise, it was an echoing, bold voice, maybe with a bit of a British accent to go along with it.

Rubeus stood still after he heard that question. "Please forgive me, Miss Beryl! I'm here because I thought that I could find something called the Hizrounswa. When I released the panel from the wall, all these swirls came forth, and that's when you appeared."

"That's because she only thought she killed me." Beryl walked past Rubeus and right near the wall, staring at it. "During that battle, my master made sure that we had an emergency escape plan just in case worst came to worst. She never told me what that was, though I never questioned it. When I was swallowed by that energy orb the Sailors made to disintegrate me and my master, she used the last of her magic to get me and her out of there before we died. However, she could only transport the Dark Kingdom as energy, so she took all of the Youma, generals, me, and her, put them as one, and hid all of us in that little hole that you just unsealed."

"So, I didn't resurrect you. You just didn't die."

"Actually, you did resurrect some of us. All four of my generals died in some form, but Metaria made sure that we could get them back. I don't know if she was able to revive all of them, but I know Jedite was resuscitated. Zoycite's death was my doing, and Malachite was defeated by the Sailors. There was a good chance with them, but not guaranteed. As for Nephlite, I have no clue right now. He was badly wounded, and Zoycite made sure he was dead."

Rubeus was still incredulous. "Metaria is your master?"

"Yes, though she might lay claim to some of the escape plan. Don't let her fool you, though. I had some hand in the actual planning of it."

"I knew it. You did think of everything, did you?"

"Let's just say," she turned to face Rubeus, "unlike some world leaders, I actually _planned_ an exit strategy!"

Rubeus smirked. "So you are real!"

"Real as they come! Which brings me to you: who are you? You said something about a crystal bringing you here."

Rubeus was so awestruck that he had forgotten that part. "I'm sorry. The name's Rubeus. I came from a time in the future."

Beryl widened her eyes. "The future? How long ahead?"

"You probably won't believe it, but I came from the thirtieth century. I was sent here to find the Silver Crystal for this Dark Phantom character. The ship I was on was destroyed, but I was able to escape. Only problem is that I'm stuck in this time."

Beryl cocked an eyebrow. "So, you think this crystal could get you back home?"

"The Hizrounswa is a death crystal, not a time-" Rubeus paused. "Hold on, you mean to tell me that you don't know anything about this crystal?"

She shook her head. "You came to the wrong place, Rubeus! I personally know nothing about it."

"Darien was saying something about you guys trying to get it. He asked how I could possibly find it when all of you combined were unsuccessful."

"Because I was never told about it."

'_The great Queen Beryl didn't even know the Hizrounswa existed?_' Rubeus sighed. "So, if you didn't know about it, then who in the Dark Kingdom did?"

"That's a good question. There were only two others that he talked to. Three if you count Zoycite's entire hour battling him. Malachite and Metaria could have said something about it to him."

Rubeus sighed once more, his expression being one of thought. "You were trying to get rid of the Sailors, right?"

"Yeah. I was trying to. They did me wrong, kept that Silver Crystal from me all this time."

'_She might not know anything about it, but she could help me find out where it is._' Rubeus smirked. "I'm trying to find the Hizrounswa, and I know a good bit about what the crystal can do. I can help you get that Silver Crystal, and destroy the Sailors. But on one condition."

Beryl scoffed at Rubeus wanting something in return, though this man seemed as though he had everything planned out. Either that or he was one hell of a quick thinker. "What would that be, Rubeus?"

"You help me locate the Hizrounswa. Someone in this Dark Kingdom has to know where it is. Help me find it, and I will help you rid of those Sailors once and for all. Trust me, I already have them on the ropes. I know how to get to them."

Beryl narrowed her eyes. "Love to know what you mean by that?"

"Make this deal with me to help each other out, and you will know what I mean." He leered, hoping that Beryl wouldn't catch on to anything.

"I don't usually make deals with anyone, but you're promising that you will get the Silver Crystal for me, and I want to know all about what this 'He-zoo-no-saw' is."

Rubeus could only roll his eyes. "Hizrounswa."

"Whatever! You're one lucky man, Rubeus. You got yourself a deal."

The two exchanged a firm handshake. However, during it, Rubeus' smirk grew. '_Yes, Beryl. All you had to do was to agree._'

After the handshake, Beryl walked past Rubeus once more, towards the steps. "Hizrounswa?"

Rubeus looked back towards the open hole, still with a wide grin on his face. '_I always read that Queen Beryl was some legend, and the logs taught of what she was able to do to the Moon Kingdom. Some legend when you don't even know about the Hizrounswa. We'll see who's the legend._' He then began to walk up the narrow staircase.

**-xXXXXx-**

It had been four days since Sammy was released from the hospital, and finally, some calm had returned to Serena's life, though she still had the abnormality of going to school on time now and had been able to keep up her grades. She did feel like she owed it to Miss Haruna for the attention that she gave to Serena during the troubling time. What was the phrase she had told Serena from one of her comic books? Ah, yes: with great power comes great responsibility. She was going to find out what comic that was from. It was about a superhero with the powers of a spider, she was told. Nonetheless, the quote was a wise one, and she now knew how responsible she was for her family.

That included helping her family clean up her house. The walls still had a bit of blood on them that Kenji was trying to scrub off. Ikuko was vacuuming the shards of glass that were left on the floor downstairs. Upstairs, Casto was busy getting Sammy's room back in order, though the only thing that needed to be done was to have the missing picture of his family returned. Casto still had it, and he never told anyone that he had taken it. Sammy could only lie in his bed: he was still wounded and needed the help of crutches for another few weeks to move around. His leg still made him wince every time he so much as moved it. He was grateful he had the added help of Casto and Reenie if he needed it.

Serena, however, chose to clean up her parents' bedroom. Her mother didn't question it, though her father only wondered why she wanted to take on the most messed up room in the house. She only answered that she felt obligated to make it so that they didn't have to work. Though that was the truth, there was an additional reason: the bullet hole she had made in the wall. She wanted to cover that up so they couldn't see it and be scared of what Serena nearly used that faithful night. She swore that she wouldn't dare tell anyone that she had used a gun and knew how to use such a weapon, and she kept to that oath. The only chance that her mother might've known something was when Serena pulled it on her while she was controlled by Rubeus (she wasn't told of it while riding back to the hospital afterwards). Thankfully, the dresser that held the gun was also rested right near the hole. All she had to do was to nudge it over, and she was able to keep anyone from finding it for now.

"Serena," she heard Reenie say behind her. Serena turned around right after nudging the dresser to find her future daughter looking in her eyes.

"Reenie, what are you doing in my parents' room?"

"Wanting to know if you were alright. That's all."

Serena sighed and looked back at the wall. "Yeah. Better than I was last week." She exhaled again and turned back to Reenie. "What happened with you, though? You used to not even care about what I was feeling when I first met you!"

"I've changed a lot since then. You were telling me all about wanting me to be a Sailor Soldier, and how you wanted me to be able to protect myself against anyone that came after me again. I wanted to, but I didn't really know how to do that with just being a Sailor. I wanted to be able to be like you and my uncle."

"Y-You mean Casto is still..."

"Yeah, he was in the future, too. I didn't see him much, though. Was always out doing something for the citizens of Crystal Tokyo. But when I saw him fight, Serena, man, could he go, and I saw you fight off robbers with your bare hands."

"You...did?"

"Yeah, you were something else, Moon Mama! Well, anyway, I didn't want to copy him or you, so I decided to take up an ancient craft of martial arts. I wanted to be able to do all those neat tricks, and take someone on. I didn't want to be a fighting girl, but a girl that could just be able to fight. Well, if you know what I mean."

"I think I know what you're saying. Just want to be able to use it when you need to."

Reenie nodded. "That way, if the bad men come after me again, I can whip them over my shoulder and break their arms for trying."

Serena giggled slightly, then approached Reenie and knelt down in front of her. "But Reenie, that kind of stuff is not exactly for starting..."

"Sammy, c'mon, talk to me, please!" Serena heard her mother yell from the hallway.

"What in the world?" Reenie asked.

"Not this again," Serena sighed as she rose back to her feet. They nodded to each other and went out to the hall. They saw Ikuko in the hallway, in the door frame to Sammy's room with tears in her eyes. Both of them walked over to Ikuko and looked into his room to see Sammy turned over on his bed, his back towards them. Casto was speechless as he stopped polishing up the walls and looked to Sammy, as well.

"Please, Sammy! I didn't mean to leave you there," Ikuko pleaded. "I'm sorry." She stood still in the door frame, not daring to approach any further. "I was tending to your father. I thought you were with some friends." There was no answer from Sammy, not even a slight twitch in his composure. He only stared out into the daylight through his window, a blank expression on his face.

"How much longer is he going to do this?" Reenie whispered.

"Something like that isn't as easily forgiven, I'm afraid," Serena answered just as quietly, turning back to Sammy while still talking to Reenie. "Though I'm worried, too. Sammy, you have to say something. You can't avoid her forever."

Ikuko took deep breaths, Serena looking to her to make sure she was alright—she wasn't—and then back to Sammy. She also looked to her other brother, Casto. She could sense he was trying to figure out if he should say something. He was also not moving a muscle, unless she counted the neck muscles that he used to turn his head to Ikuko when she was speaking. Finally, however, Casto locked his eyes with Serena, and it was only the stare that was talking to Serena, telling her that she had to intervene somehow.

"Mom, don't!" Serena pleaded, wrapping her arms around her mother and slowly pulling her away from the door frame. "He's going to need some time to get over it!"

Reenie looked into the room, taking a breath as she first eyed Sammy, and then her future uncle. Casto responded by groaning and closing his eyes. She knew he was disappointed after seeing that. Her and Casto exchanged nods as she closed the door. However, Casto couldn't help but walk over to the door and listen to what was going on behind it.

"He's going to hate me forever," he heard Ikuko say.

"No, he won't," Serena answered. "I don't think you did what he thinks you did."

"If I knew he was in the house, I would've checked on him first," Ikuko cried.

"No, she wouldn't have," Casto heard Sammy mumble.

"Hmm?" Casto hummed.

Sammy fought to turn back around to face Casto, trying to brace the physical pain. "I don't know if I could ever look at her again. I was so scared when he came into this room, just shooting me with everything he had. She could've done something."

Casto put down his white polishing cloth and walked over to Sammy's bed, kneeling down to him. "Even if she knew you were here, what could she have done?"

"They have my baseball bats from when I played in elementary school. She could've used them. She could've punched him. You don't understand; she's something else as a mother. I was screaming for her, begging, but she didn't even try to call for police. She didn't think they would've shown up."

"They did once she called the ambulance. She did have a point about them not sealing off this place. Don't know why they didn't."

"Didn't mean that they wouldn't have cared, Casto."

Casto hung his head as he saw Sammy's tears roll down his cheeks. "Listen, Sammy, people make mistakes. God knows I've made quite a few of them."

"Probably not like that, though. You're just like our sister: kind and protective. I can't imagine you ignoring someone you cared about."

Casto stood up, remembering his own past, hearing his sister's voice in his head. "_'You still haven't told me what happened that caused you to feel it necessary to leave me, though. Please, Casto, I can make it better._'"

"I'm not that perfect, Sammy, and neither is your mother. I know you don't feel like it right now, but you should at least give her the chance to make things right."

Sammy turned back towards the window the best he could, though he was finding it very difficult with the bum leg.

"Sammy, let me help..."

"No, I can get it over." It took him a few moments, but he was able to finally roll over. "Sorry, Casto, I don't want to depend on anyone. I don't think I can trust anyone anymore, and I want to make sure I'm ready just in case I have to fend for myself."

Casto shook his head. "I understand your grief. If you want, I can let you be for a little while."

"Thanks. I'd like to be alone for a bit."

Casto nodded once and headed out the door, closing it behind him.

'_I hate you, mom. I know you have a gun. You could've shot him._'

Outside of the room, Casto found Serena and company still trying to calm her mother down.

"How is he?" Ikuko asked him.

"Same way he was in the hospital."

Ikuko could be heard sobbing upon hearing that. She could remember it all too well: right after talking to Mina and going to see Sammy in the hospital, he only turned his head away. He didn't even look at her. She didn't know what was going on then, but all throughout the ride back home and for the four days since, he had not said even a peep to her.

"Poor guy," Reenie said.

"I wish there was something I could do to make things better," Ikuko continued through her sobs. "I knew he hated me."

"It's just the shock he went though," Serena said. "He's probably trying to get his anger out, and you're his target, unfortunately."

Ikuko stopped crying, though she was still hyperventilating. "I wish I knew he was here when that little..."

She was interrupted by a loud beeping sound coming from Serena's pink shirt pocket. She knew what it was, and she rolled her eyes as she took the communicator out and opened it up to see Amy's face on the monitor.

"Amy, I'm sorry, but this has to be import..."

"We got him!"

Serena's eyes widened. "_What_?"

"He's not there now, but he couldn't have gone very far. He was in a cabin. It was the only one that stood there, but it wasn't too far from..."

**-xXXXXx-**

"...D-Point!" Serena growled loudly as she looked at the scan sheets that were on the patio just outside the Shrine. "Should've known the asshole would've picked that spot! It fits him, no doubt!"

"Wait," Casto interrupted, narrowing his eyes as he picked up the two long sheets. "D-Point? The hell's that?"

"Sailor Moon fought Queen Beryl there some time ago and won," Luna answered. "That was where Beryl made her base at to try to attack Earth."

"Coincidence, maybe?" Lita shrugged.

"All the evil in the world tends to fall to one place," Raye objected. "It's like it's inviting us there every damn time we want to face someone."

"But you said that Rubeus _was_ there," Casto continued. "Where would he be now, then?"

"The place where we went after Beryl was a large island on the Northern ice caps," Amy stated. "I know he can teleport, but the way he was sulking after we got Ikuko back, I don't think he'd want to leave that soon."

"Would be somewhere no one would think of, unless they looked for him like Serena asked you to." Casto tossed the papers back onto the table and leaned against a wall beside the sliding door.

"So now we know where to find him," Mina proclaimed. "We could just transport there and trash him like we've done several times before, right?"

"No, I don't think it would be that easy," Artemis objected. "Remember, he was there. That and he's probably waiting for us to try."

"A cabin in the middle of nowhere," Lita muttered. "Seems almost too obvious."

"Serena," Luna asked, "where's Reenie?"

"She wanted to try to help Sammy some more. She's offering to help recoup him back to health. She also doesn't want another fight to break out."

"My God!" Amy gasped. "He still thinks that Ikuko neglected him?"

"He won't even talk to her. He keeps his back to her every time she tries to make amends. I'm ready to intervene and tell him that he has to at least give her a chance at some point."

"Patience, Serena," Luna said. "Sammy went through a lot last week. He'll get over it."

"That reminds me, sis," Casto interrupted, "is that date you had with Darien still on tonight?"

"Of course it is! Why wouldn't it be?"

"Just wondering now that you know where Rubeus' hideout is, I thought you might want to go and tear him apart."

**-xXXXXx-**

Serena sighed from within a huge crystal ball. "I got my revenge, bro. I got my mother back and I left a nasty scar on his face. He knows not to mess with me again. Besides, I've got the best friends in the world that I can trust."

Watching the ball was Rubeus, who immediately growled and pivoted, pumping a fist downwards. "She's proud of what she did to my face? How could she possibly be proud of trying to kill me?"

Beryl had been watching it too, but with more curiosity than anger. The ball wasn't tuned in for any more than a few seconds, only catching Serena's plans with Darien.

"I told you, Beryl!" Rubeus hissed, turning around to face her again. "She's more violent than I remember her!"

"You sure this shrine is where they meet?"

"You see them there, don't you?"

Beryl had to bite her tongue. She wasn't used to being talked to like that, but Rubeus was only a vigilante right now. She couldn't really order him around. Not yet, anyway. "Where did she give you that scar? What made her want to do that in the first place?"

"We were in this pyramid. We both knew the Hizrounswa was in there, and we found it out, but someone removed it before we could get to it. Someone was good enough to not even alert the gods to their presence."

"Hmm. And that's why you thought I had it?"

"Yeah. You're the one who leveled the Moon Kingdom. You would've had the skills to just take it without anyone knowing."

Beryl leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes tightly. "I'm not that skilled, believe me."

"Well, Serena decided that she wanted to swipe me with that Tiara she has, and that's..."

"...where you got that scar. I see."

"I see? Wow, you sound more like a businesswoman than a queen."

"Sorry," Beryl apologized, leaning her head to the left slightly. "Guess all that time in confinement waiting for someone to release us made me somewhat rusty."

"You could say that again, my Queen," she suddenly heard a deep male voice beckon. Rubeus looked over to see that a white-haired man with a white cape appeared, walking up beside him.

"Which one is this?"

"Malachite?" Beryl gasped. She then leaned back again, folding her arms. "At least I expected you to be able to be revived by Metaria."

"That chauvinist Jedite was, too," Malachite declared, "though I only saw him briefly." He turned to the man flanking him. "And you must be Rubeus. You know now the Sailors aren't easy to beat."

"I always knew that, Mala."

"Mala? It's Mala_chite_!"

"Whatever! Look, I know the Sailors aren't easy to beat, but Sailor Moon took it to another level. She nearly stabbed me in the throat, even pulled a gun on me, wanting to blow my damn brains out!"

Beryl widened her eyes slightly, but kept her mouth shut as she continued to watch this conversation unfold.

"At least she's a lot feistier than even we all gave her credit for. Remember, _Rub_!"

"Ugh, it's R..."

"I know what it is!" Beryl tried to hide her chuckle as Malachite continued. "If you want to help us, we need your cooperation. Beryl knows what she's doing, and if you really want us to find whatever the hell this crystal is, you have to be able to do what she's asking you to do."

"She hasn't asked me to do shit yet. And besides, I'm not that good at following orders." Rubeus turned to Beryl. "Give me one of your Youma for tonight. Wherever Serena is taking Darien, I'll be sure to give them a surprise they will never forget."

"Role reversal?" Beryl asked. "She asked _him_ out? She _is_ getting braver! Alright, pick someone you know you can keep under control and do what you have to do."

"You won't regret this, Queen B!" Rubeus vanished, leaving Beryl with only a surprised expression.

"Queen B? Please tell me I can get used to this, Malachite."

"He called me Mala. Only fitting. Though that's not my only problem with him."

"You've seen something I haven't?"

"Something about him just rubs me the wrong way."

Beryl rose to her feet. "You were the same way when we still had Prince Darien. You jealous?"

"No, not like I was when Darien was here. That was different. This is more like...well, he may be in this for himself. I don't think he cares that much about our intentions."

"And you're questioning my trust again, is that it?"

Malachite sighed. "Same thing as Zoycite, I know. I shouldn't question your orders or your..."

"Malachite," Beryl interrupted, stepping off of her throne platform and approaching her general. "What she did endangered everyone involved. She tried to kill Darien. It would've not only put our plans in jeopardy, but she put you in danger, as well. If she hadn't succeeded, what could've happened as a result? I was angry with her, and it wasn't the first time she put her own desires over the Dark Kingdom. Trust me, Malachite, it was something I really didn't want to do."

"But you even told me to clean up her steaming carcass from the floor!"

"No, I was telling you to clean up the mess she made of the situation. That was all."

The sudden compassionate streak had taken Malachite off guard. "Beryl, I never knew you didn't want to kill her."

"She was reckless, Malachite. I tried to get through to her, but she wouldn't listen. You saw what she did to Nephlite. I never wanted her to go and do that."

Malachite let out a very low groan. "In any case, I don't think Rubeus would be any better, and you're not ordering him to do anything. Seems like he's his own man."

"That's why I want you to go with him."

"Huh?"

"I would be lying to both of us if I said I completely trusted him. See what he's really after."

"He's going to attack the Moon Princess, though. Shouldn't we let him try?"

"You just said that he was..." Beryl paused, sighing heavily. "Look, I'm not saying that it's not our goal to snag the Silver Crystal. But I'm with you. He's got his own intentions, and like you said, something seems off about him. Don't help him, and try not to alert him to your presence. I want to see what he will do when he thinks no one's watching him. He won't sense me watching him though the ball, either. I'll have it off, so I'm trusting you to come back with your assessment of what happens tonight."

"The Sailors are going to know that we're back, though."

"I want them to know we're back. The Youma will blow that cover. But I don't want them knowing that we don't fully trust Rubeus yet. They obviously had issues with him, and if he angered Princess Serena enough to want to blow his head off, then..."

"...yes, I get what you're saying. The Moon Princess never acted out of anger like that before. Even during the worst of times, she never let her anger control her in that way...Seems out of place to me."

"We'll talk a bit more about Zoycite later. Do this for me, Malachite. Hopefully we'll find out why he wants this crystal, too."

Malachite bowed slightly. "As you wish, my queen." He vanished, leaving Beryl by herself.

"Malachite, it wasn't even my decision to kill her."

**-xXXXXx-**

Rubeus had taken a quick detour into a red rock-walled room, the very room which held the gray magical device that was able to convert Darien to work for the Dark Kingdom. He looked right at the black bed that was in the center of the structure in great thought.

'_Who are you trying to fool, Queen B? Everyone knows you have the talents to get the Hizrounswa. Oh well, I guess I'll have to prove that I mean business. If you don't want to cough it up, then I will just take what is rightfully mine. You were able to brainwash Darien to work for you. I'm sure you could've gotten him to search for the crystal._'

Rubeus stared at the bed for a few more seconds, and then looked up to see what looked to him like a small screen. It was similar to the type of viewer that Beryl's crystal ball provided, though the technology was more advanced, as if it was a much earlier version of the screen that was within his escape pod.

"Well now, Beryl, why would a magical beast such as yourself need this sort of technology, huh? You have that crystal ball, so why do you need this?" He walked a few feet over to the apparatus. It was very small, actually. Just about ten inches either way, and had a small touch device to the left which Rubeus knew controlled it (he remembered that his escape pod view screen had similar controls). He pressed a green button to turn on the screen, and he saw a bird's-eye view of the Tokyo region in real time. "Woah! You got to be kidding me! They must've kept this just in case worst came to worst, like she said about her escape plan. Seems to be running on dark magic in addition to the technology. Probably how they got it to be able to have a window. I guess Beryl's crystal ball is a bit more than a parlor trick. Wonder if I can get a shot of Serena's house with this. If I can just remember how the coordinates worked on this version."

Below the large green button was a series of white buttons with numbers and such, which made it look like a cross between a phone and a calculator. Rubeus' hand traveled through the buttons, quickly entering several numbers and symbols. Within seconds, the view screen zoomed in on Serena's house, just as he had planned.

"Yes. In real time, I might add. Hope no one minds me using their machines."

"Mom, call me if you need me," he heard Serena tell her mother as Rubeus saw her begin to leave the house. "I'm going to see Darien. Got a lot of lost time to make up." Rubeus couldn't help but be amazed at her beauty. With the white sequined dress that came down to her knees and her matching high heels, if she wasn't his mortal enemy, he might have asked her if she was single.

Ikuko came outside to check on her daughter one last time with Casto, who Rubeus saw smiling at Serena upon setting their eyes on her.

"Wow, you certainly want to impress him tonight, do you?" he heard Ikuko say as she was looking her over.

"Exceptionally pretty tonight, sis! He'll have a tough time saying no to you!"

Ikuko's presence made Rubeus nostalgic. "Yeah, Ikuko, you'll never know what you gave up by not finishing what you wanted to start."

"Wow, Moon Mama, indeed!" That voice. It was her. Reenie came out to greet her future mother. "Go get him! Make sure he plants a wet one on you, too."

"Hey now, Reenie, she's still fourteen," Ikuko objected.

"She deserves a good kiss from her boyfriend. She saved my existence."

Rubeus couldn't believe it. She was still in this time. His fists trembled and his voice hissed. He was continuing to look at the family unity that he was hoping to squash (though he didn't know anything about Sammy's feeling for his mother yet). Seconds later, he punched the stop button on the keypad as hard as he possibly could and walked back to the conversion bed, fists still trembling.

"Reenie, you scrawny, bratty little _bitch_!" He pounded the side of the bed, a loud echo filling the room. "If it wasn't for you, Sailor Moon would be dead right now! You had to come in and expose what was controlling Ikuko, did you? You had to take her away from me! She was mine! Mine! All mine! And you came in and ruined _everything_! Serena is happy again, your family recovered, and I have no Hizrounswa because of _you_!"

Rubeus' anger, however, turned into thought. As he looked at the blank view screen, his eyes narrowed. "Hold on a minute. She did scold me for talking about Reenie back in the pyramid, didn't she? Hmm! Yeah, that's it! She thought that she didn't give a shit about Reenie, but she took such a liking to the brat. I wonder what would happen if her daughter was taken from her. I know how to prove to Queen B that I deserve to have the Hizrounswa, and get back at her for what she did to me. I will just make her pay...with her life."

**-xXXXXx-**

Nighttime had fallen on Juuban, and the stars were indeed shining bright along with the crescent moon that Serena had came to know and love. She wanted to treat Darien to something that he had never seen before, and she only hoped that she would be able to afford it: the Tokyo Tower. First was dinner, and then it was going up to the top of the tower to see the view from above. She had only been up there once before with her family, and only to the lower deck. She knew Darien had always wanted to have a chance to experience it. Her stomach was growling, though, so dinner obviously came first. The trip to the top of the tower was to be a surprise to Darien, and she had it all planned out in her head, one of the few times she had ever planned anything out so far in advance.

The red sports car drove up to the entrance of the Tokyo Tower's base. A huge crowd was on hand, as always, and there were a few problems with trying to find a good parking space. The parking garage would have to do, though Serena had no problems paying for the ticket. How much money had Casto given her to spend on this night? It was definitely a few hundred dollars, though his dollars to yen conversion wasn't that great. He didn't even know if it would be more yen or less in comparison. No matter, since it seemed as though Serena had the cash to fork over, even if it was only a measly buck (in dollars) to get admission into the garage.

What luck, too: there was an empty space right near the entrance. They could just get out and go to the front door on foot in under a minute. Darien sped into the space before anyone else could claim it. The only problem would be getting out of here without getting caught in one hellish traffic jam. Putting the car into park, Darien opened the door as wide as he could without hitting the sports utility vehicle that was right beside him. Did they really have to think that they owned the parking lot by missing the yellow line?

Thankfully, the Susuki motorbike on the other side was perfect for letting Serena out. That was just his luck, though: getting the bum side of the equation. He could live with it this time, though, especially since the black vehicle was unharmed. He came around to the other side and let Serena out, though she objected to him offering his hand. It was only those five inch high heels that were causing the problem, and she knew how to combat it: taking them off long enough to get out, and then slipping them back on. Hardly a difficulty.

In fact, the bigger difficulty was saying no to one sharply dressed man. Black overcoat with a green tie and a white undershirt, matching black slacks, and the shiniest black loafers that she had ever seen in her life? She knew it would be just as difficult to saying "no" to that as it was accepting her role as future Queen of the Earth. She hoped that he thought the same of her.

"You sure you can afford this place, Serena? You sure they'll even let you in?"

"Yeah, of course. My family went to the same restaurant back when we came here. It's not that expensive, though it's very classy."

"But you're not one to like classy things."

"It's the best food here, though, and besides, it's the closest to the top."

Darien smiled at her brightly, nodding as they made their way to the entrance.

**-xXXXXx-**

Serena knew this place all too well. It was a restaurant that was viewed as slightly higher than casual dining, though far below fine dining. It was one of the more popular steakhouses in Tokyo, and it was one of the few times that Serena could handle such a food. Nothing came close to their ribeyes and baked potatoes. Though she was able to down that and some salad—which was not a small bowl by any stretch of the imagination—it would be the twelve ounce that hit the spot for her. She had never eaten so well in her life. As for Darien, he was happy with the same potato, though with a t-bone instead. She was even able to get the same table as she had when she had come here the one other time: right by the multi-pane window in the back of the restaurant. She could see all of the wood paneling and antique-like frames and ads that made this place special. The lighting in this place, just enough to be able to see, only made it more special.

"Damn, Serena, you probably ate more than I did," Darien smiled. "Like I said, you sure you can afford all of that?"

"Yeah, I had the same thing before when I came here. My God, it was the best dinner I ever had in my life, and they did it again."

"Surprised you don't come here more often if you love it so much."

"I only reveal my knowledge of this place during special occasions. It's too out of the way to just come here every day."

Darien nodded as the waiter handed Serena the check, face down. He looked to Serena to find out if it she could afford it or if she would be washing dishes for the rest of the night. The expression that she gave upon seeing the bad news was comforting, at least.

"Forty yen! A lot more than I thought."

"Can you..."

Serena only answered by holding up a pile of money at him. Darien sat back quickly with his eyes widened. "Woah, girl! Where did you get that much money?"

"Shh! A girl never reveals her money making secrets."

"But that's way more than you get in allowance for a month."

"Like I said, a girl doesn't tell her secrets." Serena put forty one yen onto the money tray just as the server came back to retrieve it. "Can't wait to see your face when you see what I have planned next for you."

'_Damn! She wasn't kidding about making it up to me. You don't have to, though, Serena._'

"That was quick," Serena remarked to the server as he returned the change to her. The server didn't say anything, only nodding to her as he returned to the kitchen. "Okay, Darien, let's get going."

"Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see," Serena answered as the two got up out of their seats. "Actually, on second thought, you won't see. Not yet, anyway." She jumped on Darien's back long enough to slip a blindfold on his eyes before he could even react, jumping off of him after (those heels were going to get it later).

"Hey, what is this all about, Serena?"

"Shh! Trust me, you won't be disappointed." She took Darien's arm and hooked it onto her own. "Walk with me. Be careful." Darien became very curious as to what she was planning, thus didn't object as she led him out of the restaurant after gathering her change.

**-xXXXXx-**

The elevator ride was taking a long time. It was something she was trying to live with, but she was so anxious to see the look on Darien's face when he saw the view. She had heard Darien repeatedly say that he wanted to come up here. She made sure they would be the only ones up here tonight: she had paid for the privacy that the visitors bureau offered earlier before she had met up Darien. They would have all the time in the world tonight to stare into the night sky. Just a minute more and they would be able to get off of the elevator and onto the highest deck of the tower.

The minute took longer than expected, though Serena was relieved when the elevator ride was over. She led Darien off it and about a few feet from where they were previously.

"Alright, Darien, you can take it off now." Serena called out.

Darien took his free hand to the blindfold and removed it. What stood before his widened eyes was without a rival as he gasped at the view. "S-Serena. How did you know I...?"

"How could I not? You talk about wanting to come up here all the time."

"Yes, I do, and...My God, it's incredible." He smiled as he looked around and through the thick Plexiglas floor to the Earth below. He could feel the breeze flowing through his hair and on his face, and the only sound right now was the wind's howl.

"My family came up here one other time. You're right. It's so breathtaking and peaceful to be up here."

"You're not afraid of heights?"

"No. Everyone just believes I am. Give them good reason because I panic all the time, but it's always been for other reasons. I was going very fast on the slalom that day we were at the ski resort, but it wasn't because of me being up high. Fear of heights or not, nothing can keep me from letting you see this."

"Serena, I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me that you took me here."

"Least I could do after everything I put you though last week."

Darien sighed and turned to face her. "You didn't have to. In a way, I acted like a damn jerk to you about staying to protect your family. I didn't want to lose you, and I was scared that I might have when you went to face Rubeus on that hill."

"I was very scared when I held that damn thing in my hands. But it wasn't that "oh my God, I'm gonna die" kind of scared. It was more of the what I could do scared."

"You had so much power in your hands at that point. It was something that can kill people within seconds. It's understandable if you felt that way. It's probably why I'll never own a gun. It would be too easy to shoot someone by mistake."

Serena sighed and looked out at the skyline. "Something happened to me while I was holding it. I knew how to work it; I knew how to hold it. I knew how to do what I wanted to do with it. I had never held a gun before, and after I did, I swore to myself I never would again."

"It wasn't just the gun that got to you, but it was also the rush you had, and your purpose that fueled it. You wanted Rubeus dead, and you knew that what you had could give that to you. But at the same time, you were fighting with yourself over whether or not that was what you really wanted."

Serena turned back towards Darien, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm sorry it had to come to that. I hope I never have to show that side of me again."

"Me neither. This is a good place to start, too."

"How does it feel to be receiving a date instead of giving?"

"Like heaven."

Darien couldn't take it anymore. He wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and kissed her deeply. Serena did not want this kiss to end at all as she closed her eyes. This was the best night that either of them had ever experienced.

That is, until they heard sudden screams from down below on the base level.

"What's that about?" Darien asked. "Someone hit the jackpot on one of the games downstairs?"

"Bad time for them to do that!"

Serena's eyes, however, suddenly fixated on a long-haired floating monster throwing dark energy balls at the windows of the restaurant that they had just came from. "No, not now! Anytime but now!"

"You have to be kidding!"

"This is your night, Darien! I'm not going to let whatever this thing is ruin it!"

Serena began to run for the elevator, when Darien caught her by the arm, stopping her. "Wait, Serena! Something is...familiar about that particular monster. I think I recognize it!"

"How could you..." Serena began before gasping, "Oh, my God! The only type of monsters you would recall!"

"This can't be! She's dead, isn't she?"

"Last I checked, she was!"

"That thing's gonna blow this entire structure out from underneath itself!"

Serena broke out of Darien's grip and pounded on the elevator button. Thankfully, it was right there as the door opened instantaneously and the two rushed into the car. The elevator couldn't move fast enough for her, though she could now see what the monster looked like: she had fangs that stretched outside the mouth, a blue-furred female body that was just as thin as she was, red hair, yellow eyes, talons on her bare hands and feet, and she was also extremely tall.

"Yes, it is!" Darien exclaimed. "It's a Youma, no doubt! She always called them that as a brand name!"

"C'mon, you damn elevator, go faster!" Serena pleaded, though she knew she couldn't get this thing to listen. She frantically pounded on the lowest button there was that would lead to the lowest floor it went to. After a minute, she had another thought rush though her head and called Amy on her Sailor Communicator. "Amy! It's Serena!"

"Oh, Serena," she heard Amy call out on the other end. "How's the date going? I didn't think you would call at all tonight!"

"Scan D-Point again!"

"What fo...no, please don't tell me Rubeus is trying to ruin your night!""

"Worse than that! There's a monster trying to terrorize the Tower Steakhouse! Darien recognized it as...my God!"

"Just tell me, Serena!"

"We think she's been revived!'

"Who wa...oh, my God! You mean...?"

"It's a Youma! Queen Beryl's been revived, I'm sure of it!"

"That's absurd, but Rubeus was close to D-Point. Maybe he found some Youma that weren't killed when we wiped her out and decided to use them."

"No, he wouldn't be able to control them unless he was given the power to by Beryl," Darien interjected. "She had to have been somehow."

'_It's no mystery who revived her, either!'_ Serena thought.

"I'll scan again. Maybe I missed something on the last scan that I should've taken into consideration."

"We're going to stop that thing before it does any more damage to the building," Darien said.

"I'll let the others know what's going on! We'll be there as soon as we can!"

Serena only held the communicator in her hand, narrowing her eyes at the creature. '_You're going to pay for ruining his night!_'

**-xXXXXx-**

Ikuko stepped outside of her house to look at the night sky. She always loved the fresh air and the cool breeze that was able to calm her nerves whenever she needed it to. Few cars traveled on this street at this time of night, thought she didn't mind it unless there was a truck or something that came through, which was extremely rare.

"How can I make it up to you, Sammy?" she said to herself. "What do you want me to do to prove to you that I would be there for you?"

"You should already know the answer to that, _bitch_!" That voice; it was too familiar, and it sent chills down Ikuko's body as she saw Rubeus appear right in front of her.

"Oh God, not again!"

"What are you going to do this time, Ikuko? Make sure that Sammy's dead before you check on him, huh?"

Inside the house, Reenie heard Ikuko's scream and looked out the front window to see Rubeus floating in mid air, shouting at her. "Oh no, does he ever quit?" She turned around to see a cordless phone that sat on a desk right by the steps. She knew how to get in touch with Serena to let her know what was going on right now, but she wanted to give Serena the night to herself and Darien. '_Should I just go out there and fight him myself?_' She looked outside once more, hoping that Rubeus wasn't planning on firing yet. She needed to make a decision and make it now.

"Who's screaming?" Reenie heard Casto say as he was rushing down the steps. He then saw the same thing that Reenie saw. "Oh, shit! Not again!" He looked down to see Reenie staring at him, panicking. "Listen, Reenie, first, don't ever repeat that word, alright?" She nodded. "Now, second, go and call Serena! _Now_!"

"But she's on her..."

"GO!" He handed her his Vulture communicator. "Here, press the big button on the left to activate the frequency listing! First one on the list should be Serena! Press it again to contact her! Go, hurry!" She took the communicator from his hands—she hadn't been given one just yet-and went behind the desk while Casto stayed near the door.

"What are you doing here, Rubeus?" Casto growled. "You're not going to harm them! Not this time! Vulture Medal Power! Suit up!"

Reenie couldn't help but watch as Casto donned and adjusted the black leather gloves, the gray shirt and pants, black boots, and the shadowy vulture wings. The latter disappeared a few seconds after they appeared, signaling the end of the transformation. "So he really was Sailor Vulture." Reenie then ducked back behind the desk, long enough to call Serena.

Outside, Rubeus continued to berate Ikuko. "I see your son hates you now! How long will it be before you make your husband hate you, or even your daughter?"

"Never!" Ikuko cried. "My son is mad with me for the mistake I made, but I will not make that mistake again! I will protect my family with my bare hands if I must!"

"You're a brave woman, Ikuko! Too bad I hold all the cards!"

On the opposite side of the street, Malachite appeared upon a rooftop and stayed hidden from view behind a chimney stack. He was still able to see the action, though he made dead sure no one could see him, per Beryl's orders.

"Rubeus knows where Sailor Moon lives?" Malachite whispered to himself. "Oh, this will be good!"

"No, you don't, Rubeus!" Ikuko continued. "I know what you got me to say to my daughter, and you know I would never, _ever_ say those things to her. C'mon, Rubeus! I'm not Serena, and I can't transform into any kind of Sailor, but I can damn sure fight!"

Ikuko's words surprised Malachite. "She knows Serena's Sailor Moon? When did that happen?"

"Oh, this will be so delicious!" Rubeus sneered. "You're just inviting your death!"

"Or you can face _me_, asshole!"

The voice caught Malachite off guard. However, although he didn't know who it was, Rubeus certainly did, and Rubeus knew where it was coming from: the roof of the Sommers' house. Both Rubeus and Malachite looked to see Sailor Vulture standing there, leaning on the chimney.

"Who is that?" Malachite whispered.

"Rubeus, you can't come up with anything original these days, can you? Going after someone's family again? Oh, that's hella rich!" Vulture jumped down to flank Ikuko. "I am the truth and the strength of the Sailor Soldiers! I will protect this family from the likes of you! I am Sailor Vulture, and I shall protect the unity for everyone everywhere!"

"A male Sailor Soldier?" Malachite asked himself. "Now I've seen everything. Too bad Beryl has the crystal ball and all the monitors off. She would have to see this to believe it."

"Ha!" Rubeus scoffed. "Unity? As if your family ever had it!"

"Ikuko, get inside now!" Vulture ordered. "I got this!"

As much as Ikuko wanted to stay and help Vulture, she knew where she was needed more. She nodded and went back inside.

"Too bad I can't fight Ikuko anymore," Rubeus continued. "but I don't think we've finished _our_ little battle yet, either. Your sister wouldn't be alive right now had you not interfered!"

"Yeah, right! If I remember correctly, you were shaking in your boots when she was about to put a damn cap in your skull!"

"And you remember what I countered with, do you?" Rubeus finished by shooting a steady stream of lightning where Vulture was standing. He jumped out of the way right before it hit, tiptoed across the stone wall, and kicked Rubeus in the stomach, grabbing him in the process and throwing him into the same stone that he had used for his double jump. Rubeus crashed onto the wall while Vulture landed on the street, kneeling a bit to cushion his landing.

"Woah!" Malachite heaved softly. "Some form! That was some landing, too!"

"Now, as Tuxedo Mask told you, Rubeus, how much further are you willing to take this before you run again?"

Rubeus growled, getting back to his feet. "Oh, this time, I'm just getting started!"

**-xXXXXx-**

The elevator had finally reached the ground floor, and the door couldn't open fast enough as Serena and Darien both exited the car as soon as there was enough of an opening for them to get through. Darien had warned her not to transform with so many people able to see them coming down the structure, even though she was more than willing to forgo that if it meant keeping everyone safe.

"We're going to have to face him without our powers," Darien said once they got to the double doors of the steakhouse, which was now in a mess of broken glass, skewed chairs, and frames.

"No, Darien! This is your night! I'll go and..."

Serena was interrupted by a loud beep coming from her communicator. Hopefully this was the confirmation from Amy she was asking for, one way or the other. She prayed that she and Darien were both wrong as she fished for her device out of her dress and turned it on. It wasn't Amy, but Reenie.

"R-Reenie?" Serena gasped. "What's wrong? Where's mom?"

"Rubeus is outside this house!" Reenie panicked. "He wanted to face your mother, but Casto changed and went out instead!"

The news made Serena breathe heavier. "No, Reenie! Please tell me...!"

"It's the truth! I'm gonna go out there and help my uncle, but he wanted me to call you and let you know he's trying again!"

Serena could not even speak, feeling her throat dry up. There was a Youma that was trying to tear the steakhouse apart at the worst time in the world, but at the same moment, her family needed her help against the one person who had ever exposed her rage. Both of them needed her equally, but the other would not let her live with either decision.

Or so she thought, as Darien answered, "Serena, go protect your family! I'll take care of the Youma!"

"Your night, though!"

"You've given me so much tonight! Let me return the favor! It's the least I could do after I acted like a jerk to you! Your family is more important right now! Go!"

Serena paused for a few moments. Not because her mind wasn't made up—it was—but she was trying to contain her emotions again. Two seconds later, she rushed out the door, gritting her teeth.

She stopped ten seconds later, however. She had to get there as fast as she could, but something was getting in the way. She reached her hands to her heels and stripped them, opting to run barefoot the rest of the way as she continued to pump and pant her way to her house. '_Not again! God, not again!_'

She needed a safe place to transform now, but there were way too many people who she was zigzagging around in order to keep from running into them. As she turned into an alley to avoid anymore pedestrians, she found a small alcove in which she knew she could get privacy. She turned into that one-person alcove and grabbed her locket.

"Moon! Crystal! Pow-!"

She stopped short, her eyes widening as she lowered her locket from above her head to right before her eyes. "''_Maybe that's what I'm doing. Depending too much on Sailor Moon to fight Serena's problems,_'" she recalled herself saying. "No, Rubeus, not this time. You're going to see just how enraged the Moon Princess can become." She put her Moon Locket away and ran once more, ignoring the pain of the rocks and gravel that were stabbing her feet.

**-xXXXXx-**

Malachite kept watching as back and forth Vulture and Rubeus went. What a show this would've given anyone on the street if they chose to watch. He didn't pay any attention to if they were waking anyone up or not. All that mattered to him right now was what was going on in front of him. Although Rubeus was getting somewhat of an upper hand by a few kicks to the gut followed by a quick uppercut that sent Vulture's back to the concrete, he knew that Vulture wouldn't stay there for very long.

And he didn't, as Vulture quickly jumped back to his feet and was back on the attack, punching Rubeus in his chest cavity, followed by a jumping knee in the chin that would have caused Rubeus to lose his footing if he hadn't jumped up onto the stone wall.

"You just don't give up, do you, Vulture Amateur?" he growled. "I could make your sister's life easier by not allowing her to accept you as the brother of the Moon Princess."

He didn't realize it the first time he mentioned it, but it was that line that made Malachite gasp. "The..._brother_ of the..._Moon Princess_? You gotta be kidding me!"

"I'll never give up, Rubeus!" Vulture replied. "Or haven't you figured it out yet that persistence runs through the Serenity blood?"

"The _Serenity_ blood?" Rubeus asked, eyes widened. "You're not fooling around with it, are you?"

"Uncle Casto, she's on her way," they all suddenly heard Reenie yell out as she ran to meet her uncle, giving him back his Vulture communicator in the process.

"Perfect!" Rubeus sneered. "That's just what I was hoping for!"

He didn't give any of them a chance to react to his words, as he fired straight lightning beams at Vulture. Vulture quickly grabbed Reenie and hoisted her out of the way.

While that was going on, however, Malachite could not remove the shock that came over him. "Wh—Who is that kid? What is she doing calling that guy her uncle?"

"You got some nerve showing your face here, Reenie!"

"I'm not afraid of you anymore, Rubeus!" Reenie smiled.

"You should be! And so should you, _Uncle Casto_!" Rubeus fired a double shot beam at Vulture. He jumped out of the way, running on the stone barrier before trying to jump kick him. However, Rubeus was waiting for him, and was able to counter punch him in the pelvis area, making him fall and grimace in pain, being slow to get back up.

"Damn," Malachite gasped softly. "He isn't afraid to play dirty, is he?"

"Uncle Casto!" Reenie screamed.

"And you're next, you damn brat!" Rubeus growled.

"Don't bet on it, Rubeus!" Reenie answered, grabbing her brooch. She was ready to transform to Sailor Mini Moon, and the narrow eyes that she now possessed that were locked on Rubeus, he knew that she was more than determined to stop whatever he had planned.

However, Rubeus smirked upon seeing her grab for it. '_Yes, Reenie! If I can hurt Serena by firing at it, I can stop you, too! This is my moment! I shall make history!_' He got a double shot beam ready.

"Moon Prism Pow...!"

Rubeus picked this moment to fire the beam, and neither Vulture nor Reenie knew it was coming, nor could they stop it as it hit dead center on Reenie's pink heart-shaped crystal.

"Ahhh!" Reenie screamed, doubling over at the pain before being launched several yards away. She collided into a tree behind her. Rubeus chuckled at the sight.

"_Reenie_!" Vulture screamed. "Goddamn it, _no_!"

Malachite's previous shock doubled. "Good lord! What did she do to deserve _that_? I don't think I'd ever have the nerve to try to harm a kid like that, though I never found a reason to want to!"

"You get it yet, Reenie?" Rubeus snarled, approaching Reenie's fallen body as Vulture was fighting to return to his feet. "You foiled my plans to take Ikuko away from Serena! You destroyed my plans to claim the Hizrounswa for my own! And you ruined my plans to kill her! I figured that since I injured Serena by firing at her Silver Crystal, I could just do the same to yours! All I have to do is break that crystal, and you'll be powerless to stop me! I may not have the Hizrounswa yet, but I know she has it! I'll make sure Queen Beryl does what I want her to do!"

"Rubeus, she's telling you the truth," Malachite's whispered to himself as his shock became anger. "She knows nothing about the Hizrounswa. And you're not about to order her around!"

"As for you, Reenie, I'll make you pay! With your _life_!" Rubeus cried, uttering each word harshly. He held his hands up high, readying some sort of beam that neither Reenie nor Casto had seen yet. He grinned evilly as black and yellow engulfed his hands. Reenie was staggering as she was returning to her feet, but it was going to be too late for her to do anything. Vulture didn't know if he could get there fast enough, either.

Suddenly, however, Rubeus felt a sharp kick hit his stomach. The energy dissipated, and Rubeus fell flat on his back. He looked up to see who had done that: a quivering Serena!

"You dare show your face here again, Rubeus!" Serena growled. "How about you pick on someone your own damn size?"

Malachite's anger became surprise yet again. "No damn way! I never seen her that angry before!"

"My pleasure!" Rubeus yelled as he returned to his feet and lunged at Serena. She ducked a punch and countered with two of her own in his gut, and then an uppercut. As Rubeus staggered, Serena jumped, spun around in mid air, and delivered a firm kick in Rubeus' mouth. He leaned against the wall to keep from losing his balance, but quickly continued to try to punch Serena. This time, he connected with a right to her face followed by a straight head butt. Serena wasn't staggered for long as she came out of it by sweeping Rubeus' feet from under him. He jumped up only two seconds later, kneeing Serena in the stomach and punching her in the jaw. Serena was spun around by the punch, but she countered by coming back around and spin-punching him in the chin followed by another punch to the throat. Rubeus backed away as he tried not to choke from the punch.

"The...The Moon Princess never fought like that before," Malachite stuttered. "Now I _know_ Beryl won't ever believe me unless she sees it!"

Serena saw Rubeus trying to keep air going into his lungs, and followed by jump kicking him again, which took him back to the wall. She then slammed him against it and used her arm to begin choking him. "Don't ever show your face here again, Rubeus!"

"Like you can stop me!" he coughed.

"I just showed you I can! And if you ever, _ever _put your hands on Reenie again, I'll kill you!"

"You're one to talk, Serena! You never cared for her...!'

Serena bashed him onto the wall again. "_The hell I didn't_! I'll be damned if I put her into any more danger! I love her! She's my daughter, and that's all there is to it! You harm her again, I'll make sure your blood is spilled! Do you hear me?"

"Ha! You have some...!"

Serena slammed him on the wall again, making a few stones in the wall crumble a bit. "_DO YOU HEAR ME?_"

Malachite could only gasp. "Oh, my God! He _was_ right! She_ is_ taking it to another level! She's even scaring _me_!"

"Serena, let him go!" Vulture ordered, finally able to return to his feet and rush to try to break the two up. "He isn't worth it! He won't harm Reenie again! I personally will make sure that he never does!"

"You blindsided me, anyway, Rubeus," Reenie added, hand on the tree. "It was my mistake for underestimating how low you'd go! It won't happen again!"

"I don't know about that, Reenie," Malachite whispered. "His evil is unlike anything I've ever seen! This isn't just about some damn crystal!"

"Don't worry!" Rubeus objected. "I think I've proven myself to Queen Beryl! Welcome to Hell, Sailor Moon! You two greatest enemies, working together! How will you function now?" Rubeus disappeared before Serena could do anything else to him.

"So she is alive!" Serena answered.

"Was about to ask you what he meant by proving himself to Beryl," Casto said.

"I asked Amy to scan D-Point because a Youma was attacking the Tokyo Tower." Malachite's eyes widened as Serena continued. "Darien told me to come here and get Rubeus while he took care of that thing. Amy said she'd inform the other Sailors about what happened. Surprised you didn't hear it."

"That's because I gave Reenie my communicator to tell you about what happened here!" Vulture looked to his communicator to see that the vulture insignia was flashing. "Someone was trying to contact me, though. It must've been her!"

"Hopefully no one else on this street paid that much attention!"

"No police were informed, so I guess not! Though it's starting to make me wonder if Ikuko has a point about the cops. Rather weird that no one felt it necessary with the way me and Rubeus were going at it."

"Probably just watching a damn good show," Malachite whispered. "Either that or dismissed it as one weird dream."

"I'll see if Ikuko's alright!" Reenie intervened. "She probably needs someone to cool her jets!"

"Tokyo Tower, you said?" Vulture asked.

"Yeah," Serena replied. "We need to hurry!"

"Ah, no you don't, sis!" He looked down to her feet, which were somewhat bloody from the rocks stabbing her. "At least not barefoot you aren't! Get inside and transform, now! I don't want to see my baby sis unable to walk again!"

Serena nodded and ran inside with Reenie. Vulture sighed heavily as he looked around the street at the houses. '_Some way to prove your point, is it, Iku...?_'

Vulture spotted something on the roof of the house just across the street. Malachite saw Vulture's eyes lock right at the chimney that he was hiding behind.

"Shit," he gasped. "Please tell me he didn't see me."

"Hmm!" Vulture dismissed. "Probably just my eyes playing tricks on me!" He then looked towards the door again.

Malachite sighed in relief, and then narrowed his eyes. "Youma attacking Tokyo Tower, right? That might be interesting. Too bad I can't stay to watch that. Got to figure out how to explain this to Beryl. Is she ever going to be shocked?" He then slowly disappeared from the roof.

"Okay, bro," Serena said, coming out already transformed into Sailor Moon. "Let's do this!"

**-xXXXXx-**

After Serena left, Darien immediately ran into the steakhouse, where he was met with a flying chair. He cut it too close as he just ducked the chair's leg impaling his temple.

"Everyone, evacuate this place, now!" Darien yelled over the screaming crowd.

"Well now," the raspy Youma remarked, "ain't this a sight for sore eyes!"

"Vampress?" Darien gasped. "They picked you?"

"Hey now, I'm not that helpless! They were going to dispose of me, but he rescued me and decided to put me to good use!"

"So Rubeus just decided to use what was left!"

"Help him and he gets told by our master where his treasure is!" Vampress used her telekinesis to pick up a table and hoist it right at Darien, who had to jump out of the way quickly, reaching for a rose in the process.

"So Queen Beryl did know where the Hizrounswa was?"

"Queen Beryl? Ah, she does live, but believe me, I would never answer to the likes of that inferior being!" Vampress threw a few shards of glass his way, but Darien saw the smaller objects as opportunity as he dodged those, ran towards the window of the steakhouse, and tackled her by jumping out of the window and to the street. The police, unlike the incident at Serena's house, were waiting with their guns pointed at the two.

"Both of you," a tall and slim officer yelled. "put your hands on your heads and freeze, or we will open fire!"

Vampress kicked Darien off of her, long enough for her to pick up the police cruiser and toss it at the officers, who had to scramble to get out of the way. The car exploded upon impact of the ground. She got back to her feet and floated again, although Darien was staring right at her.

"What do you mean Queen Beryl being an inferior being?"

"Rubeus knows a lot more about how to use us than Beryl could ever know! Great teacher he has now, though!"

'_This is surreal. She's admitting that Beryl's been revived, yet she's talking as though she could care less about her! I thought they were all loyal to her! What does she mean by great teacher, though?_'

Darien's thoughts were interrupted by Vampress using another car to try to hit Darien with. Darien knew he could get out of the way of the imminent explosion, though the Tower was another story. She had already damaged some of the Tower's foundation. A car exploding on it would've put it in danger of collapsing, which wouldn't be good at all. He had that rose in his hands, but now that she picked up the car and prepared to heave it at him, he couldn't risk blowing it up at any proximity.

"Mercury Ice Storm! Blast!"

A huge block of ice encased the car before Vampress could do anything with it. Although the car had a less than perfect landing and the ice shattered upon impact, the car was completely safe. Sailor Mercury ran over to assist Darien.

"What's the verdict?" he asked.

"One hundred and ten percent positive," Mercury answered with a heavy sigh. "She's definitely been revived!"

"This thing is just doing what it wants, though!"

"Did you not expect anything less, Prince Darien?" Vampress interrupted. She used her telekinesis to pick him up and slam him through a window of the steakhouse.

"_Darien_!" Mercury yelled.

However, what Vampress didn't realize was that she had actually done Darien a favor, as there was no one left in the steakhouse.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Mercury yelled as she fired her tsunami power at the monster. Vampress quickly jumped out of the flood, though the water wasn't helping her any.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

"Venus Crescent Beam! Smash!"

The lightning-wired gold beam flew at a staggering pace, and its collision with Vampress couldn't have come at a better time, with her body falling back into the puddles as a result. Jupiter and Venus jumped down to flank Mercury on each side.

"Must be one of the weak ones!" Jupiter smirked.

"Not so tough when your master isn't here, are you?" Venus smiled.

Vampress quickly got back to her feet. "Don't be celebrating a victory just-!" She suddenly realized that one of her feet was within the puddles, and she screamed in reaction, jumping up and floating in the air.

"You don't like water, do you?" Mercury remarked.

"Aren't you a kidder?" Vampress answered. "Too bad for you, I can control water, too!" She raised her hand as one of the puddles came up and formed a small tidal wave. "Let's see how you can handle _this_!" She used her hand to make the water, now increased in quantity, flow towards the Sailors.

That was, until a red rose flew through the water, making it dissipate without a trace.

"_What_?" Vampress shrieked.

"Up here, dummy!" yelled Darien. It was when Vampress and the Sailors looked up on the roof of the base of the Tower that they saw that he had become Tuxedo Mask. "Thank you for giving me the cover I needed. Like I remembered, you were too hot headed for your own good!"

"You got some nerve, Tuxedo Fluke!" Vampress replied.

However, while Vampress was busy with Mask, Sailor Mars sneaked up in an alley behind Vampress. Mercury saw her, but didn't react as Mars motioned a finger to her mouth. Mars continued her hand motions by pointing to Mercury, then herself, then to Vampress, and finally giving a thumbs down sign. Mercury nodded before turning her attention back to the Youma.

Mask also saw Mars, and she responded by giving a throat cutting motion. Mask turned his attention back to Vampress. "Fluke, you say? You were Malachite's pride and joy! You really want to see a fluke; you were a fluke's favorite!"

"He means nothing to me now! Rubeus promised me that we would rule the Dark Kingdom together! All we need is the Hizrounswa, and we can make Queen Beryl bow at our feet!"

"If you want to do that," Mask laughed, "I think you would have some 's'plaining to do!" He could see Vampress clench her fist. "Want to defend yourself? Want to show that Malachite was better than I was? Prove it!"

Vampress bit, and she outstretched her hand, but Mask jumped before she was able to focus her power. Mask used the jump to fire a set of roses to surround the Youma. Before she knew it, she was trapped, the roses creating a dark lightning barrier around her.

"Mercury! Now!" Mask commanded.

"Mercury Ice Storm! Blast!" The same ice block that encased the car had now encased Vampress. There was nothing she could do now but to await the next attack and hope that it didn't kill her.

Mars smirked. "See you in Hell, Vamp _bitch_! Mars Celestial Fire! Surround!" The fire rings hit the ice dead on, and shrieks were the only thing heard inside the ice as it began to crack. It soon shattered while melting, making the dark soul of the monster fly out of her body and explode on the ground. Steam rose from the ashes as they disappeared into the calm air.

"Woah!" Jupiter gasped. "We're...capable of killing a Youma by ourselves?"

Tuxedo Mask jumped back onto the ground. "Not exactly. It seemed like Vampress was severely weakened. She had so many other attacks besides that, so when she flew me into the steakhouse, I told Sailor Mars about the situation and that a good combination of attacks could've done it."

"In other words," Mars added, "she wasn't as tough as she used to be."

"Not going to be as easy next time, though," Venus responded. "It was too easy!"

"Rubeus knew it, too!" the others suddenly heard Vulture say as him and Moon ran up to meet them.

"What?" Venus asked.

"It was a distraction!" Moon remarked. "He tried to attack my family again! That was his real target! Them...and Reenie!"

"Oh, my God!" Mercury gasped.

"Is she alright?" Mask asked, hands shaking slightly.

"He targeted her and hit her crystal!" Vulture answered. "She was shaken up, but nothing more than a bruised ego when it was all said and done!"

"He wanted to kill her, though!" Moon cried. "I swear, if he ever lays a hand on her again...I..."

"No, Serena, don't say it!" Mars said "I think we all have an idea of what you could do to him! And..." She sighed, "the more I hear of these actions, the more I want to see Serena tear him apart!"

"Speaking of Rubeus," Mercury interjected, "I did that scan. You were right, Serena! Queen Beryl is revived. There were so many energy readings at D-Point, and it was a direct match to the records of what we got from when Beryl was there."

"Yeah, we know now," Vulture reacted. "Rubeus had no problem spilling the beans on that! Like I said, he's really one for beating his chest over his accomplishments."

"The Youma said that, too!" Mask added. "Though I don't know the meaning behind what she was saying about Beryl. It was like she was more loyal to Rubeus than to Beryl. She was never like that. Something doesn't add up here."

"Whatever the reason," Vulture smirked, "be sure you guys keep me and Sailor Moon busy. If you guys keep killing these things by yourselves, we'll end up getting laid off before long."

"Don't worry," Mask replied. "Rubeus just picked the weakest because he was more worried about picking a fight with you two than with us. If you didn't get there, Rubeus would've succeeded."

"Thanks," Moon smiled. "And Darien, I'm sorry about tonight."

"What are you talking about, Sailor Moon?" Mask approached her and put his hands on her shoulders. "You invited me to one of the best places to eat, took me to the one place I've always wanted to go, and let me completely trash one of those Youmas. This was one of the best nights of my life, and I owe it all to you. Thank you, my love."

Darien and Serena leaned into a heavy, deep kiss. It was one that Vulture was looking on with a sly smirk and narrow eyes. He then looked to his peers. "Do they do this in public all the time, or just on special occasions?"

Serena broke off the kiss long enough to give Casto a firm slap in the back of the head. "Hey now!"

"Ow!" Casto yelped, holding his head. "It was just a question!"

"Oh yeah? Next question might be how you got that headache after I smack ya around a bit! Remember, I had your number when you tried to wrestle me on the Moon!" Moon gave her brother a cold stare, telling Vulture one thing.

"Ah, crap!" He began running for his life, Moon speeding after him.

"Yeah, they're definitely related." Mask chuckled.

"And I thought we had enough of a headache with one or two Serenas in our group," Mars added. "Now we got three!"

"Though we wouldn't have it any other way!" Jupiter objected.

'_No,_' Mars thought. '_I wouldn't want it any other way,_'

**-xXXXXx-**

"Queen Beryl," Malachite called out. "I got my report ready."

Beryl sat on her throne, though her crystal ball staff was leaning on the side of the throne chair. "What happened?"

"He used Vampress."

Beryl recoiled her head slightly, confused. "What? Vampress could've been killed by a fly in her state. Why did he pick her?"

"He didn't have her with him at Serena's house."

That line caught Beryl off guard. "Wait, I thought Rubeus was going to be controlling the Youma."

"No, the Youma was at the Tokyo Tower for some reason. I guess some other battle was going over there."

"Forcing them to divide and conquer. Interesting strategy."

"Well, Serena got to the house alone, and she didn't even transform to Sailor Moon. She fought Rubeus with her bare hands."

Beryl's eyes widened. "She..._fought_ him? Like a..."

"Fist fight, yes. I never knew she could do that. She was rather pissed at him for something. That was one of the few times where I was a bit scared at what I was seeing. Or maybe she noticed the other thing I saw."

"What was that?"

"There was a child. Pink hair, calling this guy her uncle. I'll explain it later. But when she came out, it looked like she was going to transform into some Sailor herself. I have the feeling they added to their ranks."

"Thought they might. The Soldiers had more than just those five. Continue."

"Well, when she was about to transform, Rubeus struck the crystal."

Beryl's gasp echoed across the throne room. "_What_?"

"He struck it with everything he had. I don't know what she did to deserve that, but for some reason, Rubeus wanted her dead and knew how to do it!"

Beryl's jaw continued to be open. "He...wanted to...kill her?"

"He said something about her ruining his plans to split Serena's family apart or something like that. He blames her for everything, and if Serena didn't attack him when she did..."

"Malachite," Beryl choked, "tell Rubeus that I have to see him immediately."

He heard her getting choked up, as well. "Beryl, something wrong?"

"Just...tell him I need to see him as soon as he returns! That's a direct order!"

'_Something's wrong!_' Malachite thought. '_Never seen Beryl like this before._' However, he only said, "If that is what you desire, my Queen, it shall be done."

**-xXXXXx-**

About ten minutes later, Rubeus appeared in the Throne Room of the Dark Kingdom. This time, Beryl had her staff at her feet, awaiting his arrival. Rubeus appeared right in front of her.

"Malachite told me you wanted to...!"

That was all he got out of his mouth before Beryl grabbed him and shoved him as hard as she could into one of the jagged walls, holding him up by the throat with her staff. "Don't you _ever_ go behind my back like that again!"

"What the hell are you talking about, Qu...?"

"Shut up! You were trying to kill a child! She had nothing to do with this!"

"Beryl, what's with you? That child will become the new Princess of...!"

"I don't give a _shit_ who she is! She's off limits!"

"What, you're showing compassion now, over some bratty kid? Like you ever cared if children became collateral!"

"I care now," she growled. "From now on, I will make sure you're supervised!"

"For what? Reenie will be the deaths of all of you!"

"And you would question my motives? Are you that delusional? This Reenie girl is off limits, and if I ever hear that you tried to harm her again, Princess Serena will be the least of your problems, because what she will do to you will pale in comparison to what I will! Are we clear?"

"Yeah, we're clear!" Rubeus sneered, shoving Beryl off of him as he held his throat. "Completely clear! What made you such a legend before has now made you nothing but a has-been! Now caring about children!"

"We would never try to kill children in cold blood like you!"

"I can't even make sense of any of this! Go ahead and treat me like the children you're saying are off limits! You'll see what I mean! Reenie is a danger to all of you, and if you can't see that, then maybe you don't deserve to be revived!" Rubeus fumed for a few more seconds, and then pivoted and walked out of the room.

Beryl only gave a cold stare all the while, until he was gone. She could feel her lips quiver, and her hands shake. She growled and turned herself, dropping her staff in the process.

**-xXXXXx-**

Rubeus saw Malachite listen in on the conversation in the main hallway. The two exchanged glances, until Rubeus chimed in, "You betray me too, Malachite."

"How would I ever do that?"

"You told her everything! I wanted you to see what I was capable of. I'm not stupid, nor am I blind. Behind the chimney, spying on me! Did you really think I wouldn't know?"

"And did you really think I wouldn't say anything to her?"

"Look what she did to me, Mala! My logs never told me that she cared about children getting hurt! She's a fraud!"

Malachite fumed as he narrowed his eyes at Rubeus. "No, she isn't! She may not show it all the time, but she knows what she's doing! I don't agree with everything she orders us to do, yes, but I know I can trust her!"

"Ha! What kind of trust would it be to leave your girl's carcass on the floor for you to wipe up?" Rubeus saw Malachite's teeth clench. "What do you know? I hit a nerve. Just keep lying to yourself, Mala. You'll see it my way." Rubeus smirked as he walked away.

'_We'll see about that, _y_ou sadistic son of a bitch. Beryl has nothing on you. You're pure evil. She has a point. Reenie did nothing to you or to us._' He then looked towards the double marble doors that led to the throne room. '_Though I do agree with him on one thing: why the sudden compassion, Beryl? Is there something you're not telling me?_'

**-xXXXXx-**

Beryl could only lean her back on the wall she had slammed Rubeus into earlier. Her eyes were tightly shut, and she was trying to keep herself calm. No, it was more than that. She could feel an emotion she hadn't felt in a long time: her eyes were beginning to water.

'_It's never going to happen again,_' she thought, trying to fight the tears. '_I'll make sure of it. I don't know who he's saying you are, Reenie, but you'll be alright. My fight is with Sailor Moon, not you. I won't ever allow you to be hurt. That day...God, it still haunts me. I'll never let something like that happen._'

She then told herself a line she somehow knew she was going to have to repeat to herself many times over:

_"_Never again!"

* * *

There's the first chapter of War Games. I think this length is going to be the norm right now, so I hope you won't mind.

Hopefully you will join me for chapter two. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Until then, good night and good luck.


	2. Tribulation

WAR GAMES  
CHAPTER 2  
Tribulation

Written by Darkpower  
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)

* * *

She lay in her bed; it was one of the few times in which she knew she needed some rest, let alone sleep. She needed it, though, and when she woke up, all she could do was stare at the ceiling of her bedroom and think of what had happened the night before. She had lashed out, but that wasn't the point. It was the reason why she did it she couldn't understand.

'_Why did you feel the need to try to kill that child?_' she thought to herself as she kept herself under her black blanket, which went all the way to her neck. '_And why did I care so much? Don't worry, Reenie, I'm not going back on my word. Whoever you are, you're not a target. It's just...what happened?_"

She could remember every single word she had said to him as she recalled throwing him onto the wall: "_'And you would question my motives? Are you that delusional? This Reenie girl is off limits, and if I ever hear that you tried to harm her again, Princess Serena will be the least of your problems, because what she will do to you will pale in comparison to what I'll do to you! Are we clear?'_"

She sighed heavily, turning onto her side to face the wall. It was indeed a bed made for a queen, but only in size. No matter how much she tried to enjoy the fruits of being one herself, Queen Beryl never really liked the bed being in the center of the room like normal masters. Instead, the double bed was right up against the wall. She found comfort in that wall, as she felt that artifice was the only thing that could really understand her. It would never talk back, never ask any questions, and would never judge her.

"Our mission is to collect energy to revive Queen Metaria, isn't it?" she asked her wall. "It is. I know it is. I shouldn't be questioning him, but..." She paused. "...it reminded me so much of that day. I never want to see anything like that again. I felt so..."

Her mind suddenly raced through images of a fire. The sounds of plumes crackling, the smell of burning sulfur and flesh, and the sights of a building becoming nothing more than a pile of bricks filled her psyche. How could anyone be so cold to do such a thing?

Her eyes watered again. This wasn't her; she kept trying to tell herself that. She was the evil Queen Beryl! She was known for leveling an entire kingdom. Who cared about some kid if Rubeus wanted to kill her? Only thing was that for the first time in a long time, she felt as though she had another purpose. The memory of the day she recalled answered her questions.

Who cared about some kid that Rubeus wanted to kill? Queen Beryl did, and she was not going to allow anyone to do anything to her, regardless of what anyone else thought.

Beryl turned to her other side and looked at her large stone dresser. The six-drawer chest had a number of things on it: a small purple lamp, a mirror, and a few cosmetics. She never really used the latter that much, if at all. She didn't know why she kept it.

It was the picture to the left of the cosmetics, though, that she laid her eyes on. It was of three people, with herself in the middle. They were on the outside of a huge castle, smiling for the camera. Beryl threw off the blanket, rose to her feet, and walked over to the dresser. Picking up the frame, she began to grow a faint smile. It was her, but a lot younger. The most important thing about the picture was that the young Beryl looked happy, and the two people that were flanking her on either side were smiling just as brightly.

"I wish I still had your guidance," she said, staring a hole into the picture. "Why did you have to leave me so soon? I could really use your advice now, mother. Why am I feeling these things? Why do I care so much? It felt so...different. I was angry, but it was...me being torn apart. The way Rubeus didn't care was the same way those fiends didn't care when they..."

"Queen Beryl, are you here?" she heard Malachite say from outside the marble door. "I need to talk to you."

'_To talk? He's never asked for my ear. What is going on around here? Nothing is as it was before._' She looked to the door and called out, "Yeah, let me get dressed first!" She then looked at the picture one last time. "I miss you guys so much. I wish I could still have _your_ears." She fought off her tears the best she could and walked to her wooden closet. She took out her trademark purple dress and quickly slipped it on over top of her black undergarment. The purple straps on her heels were the only other thing she needed (unless she counted the thick tiara that she wore). They were very light when she picked them up, and she felt stronger when she laced them up onto her feet, even though she still felt barefoot with them on: they were that comfortable.

"Beryl, you alright?" she heard Malachite call out again.

"Coming out now!" Beryl rose to her feet and finally made her way out to her throne room. Her chair stood just a few feet away, though she didn't feel like sitting right now. However, standing right beside it was Malachite, who came up to her as soon as she closed the door behind her.

"My Queen," Malachite began.

"Malachite, please stop."

"Huh?"

"Just call me Beryl for now. I have no desires to be called queen."

"Is that because of whatever you were crying about?"

Beryl cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"You have a tear coming down your cheek."

Beryl took a hand to her left eye to feel a soft streak of water. She quickly whisked it away. "My apologies. I guess I really did need the rest. I was trying to keep them from watering, but I guess I'll have to get used to the tiredness for a while until we're at a hundred percent."

Malachite shook his head, however. "Beryl, you're not that good of a liar. Something happened last night. You can tell me."

Beryl clenched a tight fist. "Rubeus pissed me off last night! He went behind my back and tried to harm a kid. I won't tolerate that."

"The entire Kingdom could hear you screaming at him! But why did you get so angry? I'm not saying you had no right to be, but what was the reason for your compassion? He does have a point in it being a bit unlike you to suddenly feel that way."

"Actually, Malachite..." Beryl began. She was interrupted by a loud bang echoing across the throne room. She and Malachite both looked around, trying to find where it came from. "What the hell was that?"

"Don't know. I heard it, too. Hopefully that's not Rubeus listening in on us."

"Let him listen. It would be something he needed to hear." She then turned back to Malachite. "But yes, as I was saying, how I reacted! That wasn't exactly..."

"_DIE_, Queen _BITCH_!"

Before either of them could react to that very familiar female voice, a figure jumped Beryl from behind, making her fall face first. Beryl quickly turned onto her back, seeing who it was that just tackled her: Zoycite.

"Zoycite, stop!" Malachite pleaded, though the woman he recognized as his love did not even listen.

"You miserable, filthy bitch! How could you be so goddamn cold?" she continued, pinning Beryl down and punching her in the face repeatedly. "We trusted you!" Beryl pushed her off of her and returned to her feet, but only for a short while before Zoycite charged again. This time, however, Beryl blocked her punch and tried to power her away.

"Calm down, Zoycite!" Beryl ordered.

"No, I won't listen to you anymore! You have no conscious, no soul! You told my soul mate to clean my carcass up off the floor, forced him to have to see me die!"

"No! Zoycite! That wasn't what she...!"

"Shut up, Malachite! I'll handle this!" Zoycite pushed Beryl into the back of the throne chair, and then tackled her. The force sent the chair forwards as they fell with it, Beryl yelping as her back collided with the edge of the chair and bended awkwardly.

"Zoycite, listen to me!" Beryl cried. "Calm down!"

"You never calmed down when I asked for one more chance, did you? You only cared for your own self, about getting Darien for yourself, and that damn crystal! I'm going to do the same to you that you did to me! Too bad you're too much of a cold heart! No one will bother to clean your ass up!"

"_ZOYCITE_!" Malachite screamed as he saw the two tangle on the floor, Zoycite trying to use whatever powers she had to kill Beryl. He looked to his left to spot Beryl's staff. She never had the chance to grab it, but would she scold Malachite for using it? Who cared right now? He grabbed it and ran to Zoycite, striking her hard with the lower end of the staff, making her fall off of Beryl and onto her back, gripping her ribcage in pain.

"Get a hold of yourself!" Malachite continued. "What's wrong with you?"

"Malachite, you traitor! You're going to side with her when she killed me, took me away from you, and didn't care about your feelings for me? What a coward you really...!"

"SILENCE!" Beryl screamed as Malachite helped her back to her feet. "I won't let you talk about him that way! He missed you immensely! You should be happy that you have a second chance!"

"Bullshit, Beryl! You don't have any feelings for anyone but yourself! How could you even think of telling me that he would miss me when you don't know the first thing about love, huh?"

"Zoycite, I know it seems weird, but you have to believe me," Malachite pleaded.

"I can't! I won't!"

"Don't be so stubborn, Zoycite!" Beryl scolded. "That's what got you into trouble in the first place!"

Zoycite got back to her feet, holding her rib. "What the hell?"

"You could've gotten Malachite killed when you went after Darien the way you did! You were defying my orders every step of the way! If you weren't as ruthless and just listened to me instead of being the hothead you always were, you probably would've still been alive at that point."

"Like you cared if Malachite died, either."

"That's _ENOUGH_, Zoycite!" Malachite answered. "Beryl might be right! Listen to you now! You're not even willing to hear her or me out! Take a breath and just try to cool your jets."

"I didn't want to do it, Zoycite! I told Malachite to clean up the mess you made of our situation to get the Silver Crystal. I don't think I could've even had the gall to tell him to watch you die. I couldn't do it. It was why I left to talk to Metaria. If I stood there any longer, I would've gone ahead and revived you myself."

Zoycite took heavy breaths every time she inhaled. "He...he angered me. I had enough of him always beating me to the punch."

"Zoycite," Beryl uttered, "I don't expect you to forgive me right now. Obviously you don't look like you're in the mood. But at least let me prove that I'm telling the truth about that day. Maybe once you see that I didn't want to kill you, you'll see..."

"What could you possibly do to prove that?"

"My Queen," Malachite interjected, "I can talk to Zoycite for you. She'll forgive me, hopefully. And here," he continued, giving her her staff back. "Sorry, it was all I could think of."

Beryl only nodded as Malachite approached Zoycite, and the two vanished. Beryl closed her eyes and tightened her grip on her staff.

She was interrupted by the clapping of a pair of hands and another familiar male voice ringing out, "Bravo! Bravo!" She turned around to see Rubeus clapping and pacing out of the shadows towards her. "What a show you put on there. What was the lie this time, Beryl? The part about you not wanting to kill her, or about what you really meant to Mala? Oh, wait, maybe it was both! You're such a force to be..."

"Shut up, you slime!" Beryl grumbled. "I have no problem killing you, and I wouldn't think twice!"

"Oh, well there's a change. No janitors around to clean up my smoking carcass? Oh, and you calling me slime! Look who's talking! You're not any miss congeniality, either, in case you didn't notice!" Rubeus paused and took a deep breath, circling Beryl. "Wait a minute, I get it now! It's the same reason you attacked me last night! Isn't it? Poor old Reenie's got you by the heart and you haven't even met her yet!" Beryl threw the staff on the ground and narrowed her eyes at Rubeus, her fists getting tighter. "Oh, now there we go! The great Queen Beryl actually has a heart! Had a hard time showing it, did ya?"

"My fight is with Princess Serena, not the kid!" she growled.

"Oh, but it is with the kid! It's her future daughter! Thirtieth century, remember? I know all about the future!"

"Fine! Then you know that if you test me again, you'll be in ashes!"

"Ha! If you had any guts in that disgusting body of yours, you would've done it already, bitch!"

Beryl closed her eyes as tightly as she could. If she looked at him one more time, and if he didn't stop jumping and hopping around her like some crazed psycho, she would've killed him right there. "I said if you do it again! Call it me being fair to you!"

"New word for you, right? Fair? No matter! I got no time to argue with some washed up glory hog that lies about actually having a heart! I got a crystal to deliver to my mentor!" Rubeus started to walk away, but stopped and pivoted back. "I actually know who to take with me this time!"

"Hopefully nothing like Vampress. You actually did her a favor!"

"The only Youma that could've been killed without Sailor Moon's help! Heh, funny that Vampress was clearly available. Glad that I was able to put her out of her misery. This time, though, it'll be different. Let's see, I'll go ahead and take...oh, yeah! Hammerthor! The name alone sounds intimidating!" Rubeus disappeared right after.

However, the name instead sent chills down Beryl's spine. _'No, Rubeus! There's a reason why we never used him!_'

"Queen Beryl," Malachite called out as he reappeared with Zoycite.

"Some timing. You just missed..."

"Rubeus," Zoycite answered. "I know. I was hearing him prancing all around here while we were talking about you. Some ego he's got."

"Zoycite, I need you to know..."

"He told me what you told him. He's mentioned everything to me. I'm still angry, though."

"I know you are, but I don't want you attacking me again! That's something I think you'd want to save while you watch Rubeus for me."

"Wait! You want us to supervise..."

"Did Malachite tell you about what happened between me and him last night because he went behind my back and harmed a child?"

"Yes, and I'm as curious as Malachite is! What's going on?"

"Can't say right now. I don't even know myself. But he's going out there again, and I promised him that he'll be watched over from now on! That's where you two come in!"

Malachite looked behind him for a few seconds, and then back to Beryl. "Did I hear him right? He's taking Hammerthor with him?"

"That worries me. He took the weakest Youma there was last night. Today he decides to take one that gave me some problems. I don't get his strategy."

"What do we do, though?" Zoycite asked.

"You make sure he knows he's being watched. Help him if needed, but not too much. Actually, on second thought, just...make it look like we want to help him."

"But you want the Silver Crystal. That was why you got angry with me to begin with."

"I know I do, but I don't trust him. And the more I keep him here and help him, the more I feel like I have to take a shower. Besides, the Sailors don't know about me and Rubeus feuding. If they find out, then they know we're vulnerable to attack again."

"Malachite," Zoycite said as she turned to her lover, "I'll make sure he doesn't do what you said he tried last time. Meet me at the bottom of the steps when you're ready." She disappeared.

"Malachite, is she really...?"

"You were right about her not being very forgiving of you, but I think she's going to try to make it work."

Beryl sighed and walked towards her now-collapsed throne chair. "I...did lie in a way. I don't expect her to forgive me right away. But I...I want her to be able to forgive me, Malachite. It was actually her defiance that I liked. It was just when she decided to be defiant that got to me."

"I'll see what I can do. Sounds like you're growing some feelings lately."

"It's probably this stuff with Rubeus. If I can show that I'm a better person than he is, maybe he'll come around."

"Doubt it." Malachite began to walk away, but then widened his eyes and turned back around. "Beryl, there was something else I forgot to mention about last night."

"Hmm?"

"There was someone else fighting Rubeus before that whole thing with Reenie began. He impressed me. Kept calling himself...oh, yeah, Sailor Vulture!" If Malachite noticed Beryl's eyes widening, he never said anything. "Might want to keep an eye on him! He means business! Should be meeting Zoycite. I would advise to keep watch with that ball of yours, just in case Rubeus has other plans he's not mentioning to us." He then disappeared, though he never acknowledged Beryl's shock upon hearing the name he had just dropped.

"S-Sailor Vulture?" she gasped. "He's...alive?"

**-xXXXXx-**

The morning sun had risen on Juuban, but to Sammy, it could've been anything but bright. Those crutches he had to walk with took their toll on his arms, but he could live with that. However. as he continued to stare out his window from his bedroom, he knew what the bigger issue was: having to live with his mother.

"Sammy," he heard Ikuko ring out from downstairs, "breakfast! You have to eat something!"

'_I'm not hungry!_'

"Sammy, you awake?"

'_Shut up, you evil bitch!_' Sammy put a pillow on top of his head. He didn't know how long he did so, but it was at least two whole minutes. He wanted to make sure he couldn't hear his mother beckon for him.

But a few moments later, he felt someone shaking him, trying to get his attention.

"Mom, I'm not hungry! Go away!"

"Sammy, it's not your mom! It's Reenie!"

Sammy's eyes brightened as he took the pillow off his head and fought to turn around to see the pink-haired child's bright blue eyes staring right into his own. "Sorry, I thought you were..."

"No, Sammy, it's alright. But your mom's right. You have to eat something. You haven't for a whole two days now."

"I said I wasn't hungry. If she's making it, I don't want it."

Reenie narrowed her eyes. "Don't be like that, Sammy. You have no idea how hard it is for her to see you like this."

"She should've protected me from him, then."

"I know. She's made a lot of mistakes, but she still loves you. No one is perfect. She wasn't thinking clearly when it happened. She was in a panic, that's all."

Sammy shook his head. "She didn't even care, though. I heard she was talking more about some damn opinion she had about the police to Serena than she cared for my health."

"It was probably the only way she could think of to not go into panic attacks. I remember her using that tactic before."

"Reenie, I know you're trying to tell me that I should try to make it work. Thank you for trying, but I can't forgive her."

"She was ready to come up here and talk to you, but I told her that I'd do it. Because I feel awful for you."

Sammy smiled. "Thanks, Reenie. You're such a good person."

"Anything I can do to help you-within reason of course-ask me. In a way, I like that I don't have to hide who I am from any of you. I had to convince you guys that I was a cousin last time I was here. Now I can be open and say that I'm a future daughter to your sister."

"Where is she, anyway?"

"She and Casto already went to school. You know _them_anymore."

"Tell me about it."

"How's the leg coming around?"

"Less painful to move, but the crutches suck."

"They will. I've been on them before. Not fun."

"Wear me out, actually. Reenie?"

"Hmm?"

"What is the future like? What happens to this place in your time?"

Reenie wasn't expecting Sammy to ask that, but she was more than willing to answer as she knelt down on both knees and put her head on her folded arms on the bed. "It's beautiful. It's not like flying cars or any of that. There's a crystal palace in the center of Tokyo, where the Tower is now. They keep building and building on it until it's fit for a queen. She is realized as the Queen of the Earth, and treats everyone with respect."

"But Pluto said something about the changing of destiny or something like that. You weren't as disciplined as you are now."

"She told me I was so obnoxious to Serena, and gave her such a hard time. But at the same time, she loved me like no one else. I just want to be able to fend for myself, and Rubeus' actions changed what happened to my destiny. What was to be mine was a bit different from now."

"Hopefully you won't be boring now."

"Heck no! Serena has to stay on her toes somehow, doesn't she?"

Sammy laughed. "Yeah. Would be like _you_ training _her_!"

"Hey, you're laughing! That's what I want to see!"

Sammy smiled and put a hand onto Reenie's. "Thanks, Reenie! Still not hungry, though. Even if I wanted to go down there, my stomach is still turning a bit because of his attack. I don't think anything I eat will stay down."

"That's alright. They still haven't processed my enrollment into the elementary school yet, so I'll be here all day. Let me know if you need something."

"Will do! Thanks!"

Reenie rose to her feet and smiled as she walked out of the room. Sammy stared at the door as she closed it behind her. "Thanks, Reenie. You have no clue how much you've helped me just now." He rolled back over—ignoring the pain—and closed his eyes.

Outside of the door, Reenie closed her eyes. '_I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive her, Sammy. I want to help you get through this._'

**-xXXXXx-**

"So let me get this straight," Serena asked Casto as they were nearing the school. "You told Miss Haruna that your mother let your father have sole custody of you because she couldn't take care of you."

Casto nodded. "She was in love with some American lieutenant, and she forgot that I existed."

"And she bought it?"

"Yeah, that was very weird. I didn't think she would, especially when she could've caught me being nervous over the entire thing. She put me on the spot with that question of how I was American and you were..."

"Hey, Serena," called out one of the male students with a group of two other male and three female students. "I heard you had to go to Miss Haruna's house to get that counseling. You've become a teacher's pet or something." The others laughed as the short, dirty blond character came up in from of the group. "What a joke! And here we all thought you were some lazy bum. Now you're becoming a bookworm who loves her teachers? How pathetic!"

Casto balled up his fist. "Hey, man, butt out! You know what she's gone though!" Serena stood speechless, her jaw dropped slightly.

"Oooh, so it's her brother that comes to the rescue! Why don't _you_butt out, you outsider, and let us teach this softie a lesson she'll never forget. Or do you forget that you American idiots will never be welcome here in Japan?"

That was it for Serena. Making fun of her was one thing, but her brother was another. "Shut up, asshole! He's very much welcomed here! How could you dare say anything like that to him?"

"Welcomed here? By who, Melvin?" The group all laughed. "Yeah, he would, wouldn't he? We've gotten to him before, and we know what to do to him."

"You try to do anything to him or anyone of my friends, so help me..."

'_Serena,_' Casto thought, '_let me handle this!_'

"What is this now? The crybaby wants to get tough? Did someone step on your toes too many times? What are you going to do, huh? You ran away from Sammy's attacker! How could you...?"

He was interrupted by Serena charging him with everything she had. It took all of Casto strength to hold her back.

"You son of a _bitch_!" she screamed.

"Serena, _NO_!" Casto ordered. "Go away, you cowards! How dare you even think of saying such a thing?"

"I'm not afraid to hit women, Casto!"

"No, you would want to face me, not Serena!"

"Like I said, I'm not afraid to hit women!"

Serena continued to fume. "You're one to talk, you piece of..."

"Everyone, knock it off, now!" they all heard Miss Haruna bark as she came in between the two feuding parties. She then turned to the bullies. "You guys, I've heard enough of that! Go to the principals office this instant! How could you say those things after all she's been though? Go!" The group knew that their party was over as they headed into the school. Haruna turned to Serena. "You alright?"

"Sorry, Miss Haruna," Casto said. "I hope you're not going to punish her for this."

"No, I'm not! I should under the school rules, but I heard everything they said. They should be ashamed of themselves."

Taking deep breaths, Serena relaxed her body. "I didn't mean to let that get to me, but what he said about me running away from Sammy's..."

"Yeah, I know. It disgusted me. He will be told about that. It isn't the first time I've seen that group of kids making other miserable. I remember one of them being put into my class the day I heard about Casto's situation with his mother. I think it was the day you came to see me, Serena."

Casto looked to Serena. "So you did go and see her. I should've known when I was trying to look for you that you would've taken up on that offer she gave."

"Yeah," Serena responded, "she helped me out so much. Loved talking to her. I don't know what I would've done if I didn't go to her for advice. With great power, comes great responsibility. I love her a lot for her help."

Casto smiled. then looked back at Haruna. "We should get inside. C'mon, Serena." He directed Serena into the school as Haruna looked on.

"I'm sorry, Casto. I shoud've warned you about them," she said quietly. "I would expel them if I could. And Serena, I hope you can see past your anger. I want to help you. You're not just a student to me anymore. You're like a little sister to me. I only hope you visit me after you move on to high school." She exhaled as she entered the building.

However, someone was listening in to everything from one of the alleys around the corner of the school: Rubeus. He was with a muscular male figure that had a hammer for a head. He could not have been any smaller than six foot, and weighed no less than 250 pounds. He was a brute if there ever was one.

"So, Serena went to that teacher for the advice," Rubeus whispered.

"She had to tell Serena to have a gun for your fight with her," the low voice of Hammerthor answered.

"Yes, I know. She went to her house first, I'm sure. She had the courage to face me as Serena at her house. She never had that courage before, and I know now who gave it to her. Part one of my revenge is almost complete. Let's go, Hammerthor, before someone sees us."

"Why?"

"One, I don't like even the slightest person knowing that I'm here unless I want them to; I was the same way when I was searching the phone book for Serena's house—don't ask. And two, how do you think they will react to someone with a hammer for a head? C'mon, before someone gets suspicious." Hammerthor nodded as the two disappeared.

**-xXXXXx-**

After the school day was over, Miss Haruna tried to get her papers in order for the day when she heard her classroom door creek open.

"Miss Haruna," Serena spoke softly.

"Serena," Haruna said, looking up from her papers as Serena entered into the room. "Something wrong?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry that I almost started that fight..."

"No, don't be. They started it, and I'm disappointed in them for getting you that rowed up. I would've said something to you if you threw a punch or something, but I wouldn't have blamed you. I'm just glad I'm not their parents. What I did will be tame in comparison to what I'm sure they will do once they hear about what happened today."

"I can serve whatever detention you want me to, though."

Haruna shook her head. "No; even if I had the power to do that anymore, I wouldn't."

"Even if you had...?"

"They did that yesterday. All serving of detentions are done by the principals. I can only send you to the office, but I can't tell you to go to the detention hall anymore. I swear, they are getting so uptight with us anymore. The littlest things are becoming a chore. I'm actually thinking about quitting soon if I can't get a break."

"No, Patty, don't! We need you here!"

"Sure doesn't seem like it. At least when it's coming from those clowns in the School Authority. How am I able to stop any fights when I can't discipline those that start them? Trust me, Serena, if I could've, they would've been put in detention faster than they could blink for what they said."

"I hope you stay, though. I don't know how this school would be without you."

"Thanks, Serena. Though I don't know what I'm going to do yet. If it wasn't for the students like you, I would've quit a long time ago with the stuff that goes on around here. I'm sorry, I must be going. You should get home. If those kids try again, at least get some blocks away from the school before you start anything."

"Wha...?"

Haruna smiled as she rose from her seat with the papers in her arm, approached Serena and whispered, "Between you and me, I would've loved to see you punch that SOB's lights out!" Serena's eyes widened. That was a side of Haruna she never knew about. "I'm tired of seeing him bullying around everyone here. We've all tried to curb it. I know I shouldn't desire that, but part of me just wants him to get his. Take care, Serena." She exited the room, leaving Serena with a smile on her face. Hopefully Haruna would think against quitting. Serena really needed her as her teacher. No, make that, she really needed Haruna in her life.

**-xXXXXx-**

Haruna carefully put her papers beside her on the passenger side of her silver Coupe, put her hands to the steering wheel, and took a deep breath. '_Don't worry, Serena. I'm not going to leave you. Even if I quit this place, you'll always be in my heart. Like I said, you're one of the people that I stay for. You, Molly, Melvin, Casto, all of your friends and family._' She then turned her key, put her car into drive, and turned out of the school parking lot, beginning to drive home.

However, she didn't notice that Rubeus and Hammerthor had seen her leave, looking on from behind another car, ducking down to keep from being spotted.

"Okay, Hammer," Rubeus whispered. "Cloak yourself and follow me." Hammerthor disappeared as Rubeus began to walk extremely fast in the same direction he saw Haruna drive.

Haruna looked in her rear view, adjusting it slightly. It had begun to drizzle a bit, just enough for her to have to turn on her windshield wipers to be able to see the road. '_Funny. Didn't know it was supposed to rain today. Should've brought a jacket just in case._' She turned down another street, looking in the rear view again. Did she just see someone there following the car? She looked in the other, smaller rear view, which was covered in rain drops. No, it was probably just the rain, or maybe the tail lights of another car. She didn't see anything in that mirror. She didn't want to be pulled over for speeding, but she was trying to keep her foot on the gas pedal all the time, as fast as she could get to her house. The sky had become grayer all the while.

She made a right and then a left. She began to notice the absence of cars on the road. Maybe the sudden rain that had begun to come down slightly harder now had scared anyone from coming out to do anything. She continued to check her rear views every thirty seconds or so, thought she wasn't sure why. Thankfully, she was nearing her house, but even this was strange: there were no cars in the parking lot of the apartment complex and the nearby row of town houses. 4B was a town house, on the right side of the row. There was one other twin set of houses on that row: the 5A and B ones that were the end of the row. There were still no cars there as she pulled into her usual parking space. The small yard that she had surrounding the walkway to her front door was muddy from the rain. She was going to wait until the rain stopped before she got her papers. That, and she just wanted to get inside as quickly as she could to get a hot shower and change her clothes.

She quickly got out and fumbled with her keys until she found the one she was looking for, and put the key into the hole of the doorknob once she got there. She turned the key and unlocked the door. Her clothes were beginning to feel the wrath of the rain as she was getting soaked. It got even harder, and she could've sworn she heard some loud thunder. A little drizzle was one thing, as many meteorologists would've missed it. But how could have they possibly missed a huge thunderstorm which was coming right for Juuban? She quickly opened the door.

However, the second she put one foot into the door, she heard a booming male voice. "Miss Patricia Haruna, I presume?" She looked to her left to see a male figure, tall, with spiky red hair and a purple vest. She didn't know this was Rubeus yet, though she knew he was creeping her out.

"How do you know who I am? Who are you?"

"Name's not important. I know you're Serena Sommers' teacher, and I know you and her have become friends recently."

Miss Haruna's foot came back outside the door and looked right at Rubeus. "Why do you care? Was it you that said something to the bullies who were picking a fight with her today?"

"I saw that, but no. I know her in...some other ways, if you know what I mean. I know you're helping her hide what I want."

Neither Rubeus nor Haruna noticed that, on the only apartment loft on this lot, Malachite and Zoycite both appeared, though they knew no one could notice them up here, where there was a bit of a barrier from the brick that made up the loft.

"What business does Rubeus have with this woman?" Zoycite whispered.

"No clue," her lover answered. "It's like Queen Beryl said. No one really gets his strategy. She's Serena's teacher, from what I've heard. The Dark Kingdom has had a run-in with her before."

"What do you mean I'm helping her hide what you want?" Haruna asked nervously.

"Cut the crap, Patricia! You know what I'm talking about: The Silver Crystal. You know where it is!"

"No, I don't know what you're even talking about! Please, just leave me alone before I call the police!"

"The police can't do anything. Hell, if you've noticed, they didn't do anything when Sammy was assaulted, now did they?"

Haruna gasped. "H-How would you know that unless you..._oh, my God_!"

"You get it now, Patricia. Tell me where I can find Serena! I'm not playing any games!"

"You need to go to jail, you sick freak! Leave me alone! I'm calling the...!"

"I wouldn't try to run if I were you," Rubeus sang, approaching Haruna. She was feverishly pacing back, unsure of what to even do.

"Malachite," Zoycite asked, "why does he think she knows anything about the Silver Crystal?"

"Serena apparently told her family she was Sailor Moon," Malachite answered. "Maybe he thinks that they weren't the only ones she told, though I doubt she'd tell her teacher."

"Please, just leave me alone! I don't know anything about your Silver Crystal! Leave and maybe I'll..." Haruna got stopped from behind.

Rubeus smirked. "You're going to learn how much I don't like liars!"

Haruna hyperventilated as she turned to see Hammerthor standing up against her. "What the...?"

"NOW!" Rubeus screamed. Hammerthor reeled back his head and smacked Haruna in the gut with the front end, making Haruna yelp as she landed face first in the muddy grass after a small flight.

"Oh, my God!" Zoycite heaved. "What the hell was _that_for?"

"No clue," Malachite answered in horror.

"Now," Rubeus continued. "Where's the goddamn Silver Crystal? I don't have all day!"

Haruna struggled to get back to her feet, clenching her ribs as she was choking on her blood, trying to keep it all from coming up. "No! I don't...have it! Please, someone, help me! ANYONE, PLEASE! I NEED HELP!"

"No one can hear your cries right now, Patricia! Did you notice the rain? Hammerthor can keep normal people like you out of the shield he's created. No one here can do anything about it. As long as it's raining, no one will be able to help you, or call any police, or rush to your rescue. Now, where's! My! Crystal!"

"I don't...know!" Haruna pleaded. "I swear, I don't know what that is!"

'_She's telling the truth, Rubeus!_' Zoycite thought. '_I know she is. Let her go._'

Haruna tried to keep her balance, resting her hand on the siding of the house, breathing heavily and still choking. She looked up, however, to see Hammerthor charge with his head down, colliding with her in her stomach again, launching her onto another part of the yard, making her pumps fly off her feet as she collided on her back. She felt tears of pain streaming down her cheeks along with the raindrops falling on her body.

"_Where is it_?" Rubeus growled. He paced towards her and forced her back onto her bare feet by her hair, pulling on it with sheer strength. "Tell me, or you die here!"

"Please, don't! I don't know! How many times do I have to tell you? I know nothing about it!"

Haruna was only met by a punch to her ribs which made her feel as if a knife just stabbed her there as she yelped again.

"My God!" Zoycite cried. "He's a psychopath! Nothing more! Malachite, how much longer do we have to watch this?"

"I don't know!" Malachite said, swallowing hard. "Queen Beryl, give us permission to stop him!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Within the Dark Kingdom, Beryl was indeed watching these events unfold...with terror in her eyes.

"Yes, Malachite! Zoycite! Stop him! I can't watch anymore of this myself!"

She got no answer. Only Malachite pleading again, "Queen Beryl, please! I know we're after the Silver Crystal, but for God's sake, not like this!"

"Queen Beryl, don't allow this to continue! She's telling the goddamn truth!" Zoycite screamed, praying that Rubeus didn't hear her. "I can stop him! I know I can! Just give us the cue!"

"Yes!" Beryl cried. "Stop him before he kills her! I believe her, she knows nothing about the crystal! Do something, _anything_! She doesn't have much life force left in her! That is a direct order! Stop that madman!" She still got no answer. "The shield. They must be in it. It must be stopping any of my communications to them from getting through. I can hear them, but they can't hear me! But they'll think I want them to stay put if they don't hear anything from me."

A look of determination overtook Beryl's visage. She shot out of her throne chair, leaving her staff behind, and raced towards the wall. She found a wide staircase, and began running down the stairs as fast as she could.

**-xXXXXx-**

Haruna couldn't stop it any longer, as her next cough came with an ounce of blood, which streamed down her mouth.

"You tell me where it is, _now_!" Rubeus barked. "If you don't tell me, then not only will you die, but your students will know what it feels like to be bullied around! I'll make sure they all remember the name of Rubeus and Hammerthor! _Tell me_!"

"You're a...sick man!"

Rubeus answered that with a punch straight to her mouth. "WHERE?"

Zoycite turned away, crying in fear. "Queen Beryl, c'mon, say something! Don't lose your compassion now! I don't want to endanger anyone else, but she can't take much more! Please, don't approve of this!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Queen Beryl swore that this was the longest staircase she had ever taken in her life. Why didn't she just use her magic to transport herself to where she wanted to go? Maybe it was because the sheer panic made on foot seem like the only option to her.

Nonetheless, she finally reached the bottom of the steps and kicked down the door in front of her. It was the room with the brain wave bed, what she called the "Red Room". The Red Room also contained what she was looking for: the same computer device that Rubeus had used yesterday (though she didn't know he had), and began to press the large green button frantically.

"C'mon, please still work," she pleaded. "Zoycite, I hope you're still defiant. This is one time I need you to be!" She waited while the welcome screen to the tracking program booted up. "C'mon, you piece of shit! Hurry up! Maybe technology can beat magic! I need it to now!"

Finally the program displayed the bird's eye, real-time view of Tokyo. She pushed several buttons frantically, trying to find the one weather irregularity that would pinpoint where her servants...no, where her friends were right now, and where Rubeus was. She was having a hard time trying to get the screen to move, and it was loading like a snail. She knew she didn't have much time.

"Please, Patricia, just a bit more, hold on! You're tougher than he is! You shouldn't be his target!" Beryl didn't care right now how she was acting, or how irregular of a feeling she was showing. All she cared about was something that looked darker in color around a series of town houses as she continued to press buttons. She zoomed in as best she could through the device: the more she did so, the more interference she was getting. However, she could get the tracker inside of the dome-shaped edifice that Hammerthor had made. It was a long shot, but it was better than nothing.

"No, Zoycite, why now to be loyal to my orders?" Beryl yelled. "C'mon, please let this work. Just this one time, let this damn thing win over magic!"

**-xXXXXx-**

"I...I don't...know what...you want to...hear," a very weak Haruna continued to plea. She was limp, feeling nothing but darkness beginning to overtake her. She was scared for her life, and she knew the man who held her by the throat wouldn't think twice before killing her.

"Since you don't want to tell me where it is, let me eliminate the possibility of her coming to you to hide that crystal with you!" He began to tighten his grip on her throat. She was bleeding at the mouth as it was with that cut, but all the blood that she tasted on her tongue was sure to come out if he did this. Not to mention that she felt like dying at this point, and Rubeus strangling her could put her out of her misery.

"Please...no more," Haruna coughed. She was bloody, muddy, and nearly out of life. The rain was making her cold and wet, and that didn't help her in any way.

"Shut up!" Rubeus screamed as he slapped her in the mouth before choking her again.

"I'm sorry, Malachite," Zoycite cried. "I can't take this anymore! I have to do...!"

"No, we don't have any order yet!"

"To hell with Beryl and her damn orders! Rubeus is gonna kill that woman!"

"Zoycite's right, Malachite!" the two suddenly heard a feint voice say inside their ears. It was Beryl, although broken up.

"Queen Beryl," Malachite called out.

"Listen, there's an anti-magic barrier surrounding you. I had to contact you through the tracking machine. There's not much time for me to tell you of all the details right now. Haruna doesn't have much strength left. Stop him before he kills her. Don't worry about my orders right now. The barrier will have to be lifted before I can contact you again, so this will be my last transmission until then! _GO_!"

They didn't think about that twice, as they immediately jumped down the five story building onto the ground and raced to Rubeus.

"_Rubeus, stop_!" Zoycite screamed. "She's telling the truth. She doesn't know!"

"She does!" Rubeus objected. "Serena came to her before she challenged me to her fist fight."

"But she doesn't know what the Silver Crystal is!" Malachite roared.

"What, Beryl is showing compassion for this pitiful being? Like she did with Reenie? Not a chance! Patricia Haruna dies, now!" He tightened his grip on her throat.

Zoycite had seen enough as she fired a pink laser beam from her hand into Rubeus' wrist, making Rubeus lose his grip on Haruna, who fell to the muddy ground below.

"How could you?" Rubeus yelled. "She knows everything! Hammerthor, kill them!"

"What?" Malachite gasped. Hammerthor, however, followed Rubeus' orders to the letter, putting his head down and charging Malachite like a bull. Malachite jumped out of the way and readied a black energy sphere in his hands, firing the energy right at Hammerthor. He was successful at slowing him down, forcing him to widen his stance.

"Zoycite," he yelled, "do it, now!"

Zoycite answered with a flurry of pink and black flower petals, which, once they landed, fired up pink beams that encircled Hammerthor and shot out at him, making him grunt a bit, though not by much.

"You traitors!" Rubeus harked. "You know Beryl won't like either of you for betraying her orders to find the Silver Crystal!"

"You don't know the half of it, Rubeus," Zoycite growled though her teeth.

"Hammerthor, transport back! We'll need to regroup! You need some more dark energy, anyway!"

Hammerthor was able to disappear before anymore damage could be done, and Rubeus left before Zoycite could finish her lunge by punching him. The two noticed that the rain had stopped and the clouds disappeared right afterwards.

Zoycite heard a door shut behind her, locking, and then a loud thud behind the front door of Haruna's home. "Patricia," she panicked, running to the door.

Malachite stopped her halfway, though. "No, Zoycite. There's nothing more we can do for her."

"But she's..."

"No, we can't make things worse right now."

"Please! It's our fault! Let me help..."

"No, Zoycite," she heard Beryl tell her in her ear. "She'll be alright for now! I'll keep a watch on her for you in case anything happens!"

"Queen Beryl..."

"You want him to do the same to someone else? He's back here, and I don't think she's the only one he wants dead!"

"Why do you care?" Zoycite cried. "You made us stand there while she..."

"That's because of the anti-magic field. I can explain once you come back, but you have to hear me out, Zoycite. Believe me, I don't know what's going on here, either: with me, with you, with Rubeus, with anything anymore. I know you don't like me, but you have to trust me. If you care so much, make sure he doesn't do it again. Besides, he mentioned the Silver Crystal as _his_crystal! That's the first time I heard him claim it as his! Return at once! And Zoycite, she'll be fine! It isn't your fault, it's mine! I'll take the blame for it! Now, return!"

Malachite nodded to Zoycite, who, with a bit of reluctance, joined him as they disappeared.

**-xXXXXx-**

Inside the house, Patricia was a wreck, both physically and emotionally. She could hear voices outside, but didn't care to listen. She was on her stomach, crying and bleeding. She slithered as best she could on the floor, trying to get to the phone that was on the opposite end of the living room. She needed an ambulance, though she didn't know if she could make it or not. She used her fingers and toes to make herself move ever so slowly to the phone, leaving a mixed trail of blood and tears as she crawled to the phone. She didn't have to remember the number, thankfully, because of it being programmed into the phone with a bunch of other contacts.

Three minutes later, she finally reached the phone on an end table right beside her couch. She stretched as far as her arm would allow her. She coughed up another ounce of blood, crying at the pain. She finally got her fingers onto the phone, pulling it so that she could get the receiver. She grabbed it, making the base fall and hang off the end table, and searched for Saint Juuban Hospital. She could feel herself fading fast, and her vision was blurry, but she could still see the numbers on the small screen. She couldn't even think as she found the number she was looking for—at least she thought it was the number—and hit dial, putting the phone to her ear, not being able to stop sobbing and gasping.

**-xXXXXx-**

"Is Sammy still not eating?" Serena asked her mother.

"Yes. I'm trying to get him to at least have lunch, or a sandwich or something, but he just doesn't answer."

"He isn't even talking to _me_anymore," Kenji added as they sat in the living room.

"You can't be serious," Serena answered. "Why does he not like you?"

"Maybe he was just asleep when I tried or something, but I tried to get him to come down. He never even answered. I didn't bother to check. Don't want to make a bad situation worse."

"Maybe I can say something to him. I'm getting tired of this. He's got to come around."

"Serena," Ikuko pleaded, "don't force him to accept our apologies."

"No, I won't, but he can't just not give you a chance."

"I know Reenie was trying to get through to him earlier. She had some success, actually. She seemed pleased about her conversation with him this morning."

"Then that could make it easier." Serena rose to her feet. "I'll see if he'll talk to me." She walked out of the room, going up the stairs slowly. She had intended to talk to Sammy, maybe let him have an earful.

However, when she got up the stairs, she heard her phone ring. Her eyes narrowed as she opened up the door to her room. She knew Molly was out with her family for the night, so she couldn't call her, and she didn't know what business Melvin might want with her. Had to be one of her Sailor friends trying to talk to her. But why the phone when they knew it was safer to do so through the communicators?

She took the detour into her room and picked up her pink phone. She heard nothing but sobbing and coughing on the other end.

"Hello?"

"S—Saint... Juuban...Hospital?"

"No, this is Serena Sommers. I..."

"Serena! It...It's Patricia...Miss..."

"Miss Haruna?" Serena widened her eyes. "My God, you alright?"

"Was trying to...get the...hospital...someone...attacked me...tall..."

"Oh, my God!" Serena could feel her tears swelling up and her free hand tightening up into a fist. "Who?"

"Tall...green...wanted...Silver..."

"No! Please, no!"

"Serena...I...need..."

"Patty! _Patty_!" She heard no answer. "Tall..._man_! Green..._vest_? Wanted Silver..._Crystal_?" She gasped loudly, tears flowing. "_Rubeus_!"

"He...called...that's his...na..."

Serena heard a loud bang in her ear, followed by complete silence. "_PATTY_! Oh, my God! _Oh, my God_!" She dropped the receiver, threw open her door, raced down the stairs, slipped on her shoes and raced out the door.

"Serena?" asked a panicked Casto as he looked outside the bathroom door, his hair wet after having taken a shower. "What's going on?"

"She raced out the door," Ikuko answered as she ran up the steps. "I didn't even get the chance to open my mouth before I heard the door slamming."

"Patty...who's..." Casto's eyes bugged out. "Miss Haruna! She's in trouble! Something happened to her teacher!"

"Is it..."

"I don't know! I gotta go after her!" He closed the door to get dressed before heading out.

"Casto, hurry! Please, hurry!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Serena got to house 4B as fast as she could. It was getting darker in Juuban, and she was having a hard time finding the streets to run down. She also noticed that the streets and side walk were more saturated the closer she got to the house.

She finally got to the front door within fifteen minutes of her running like her life depended on it, banging on the door with all the strength she had. "Patty, answer! Please, answer!" She pounded her fist on the door as she cried a sea of tears. "Miss Haruna, it's Serena!" She tried to turn the knob, but found it locked. She tried to use her forearm to break the door open, but it wasn't helping anything. There was a window that was to the left of the door. It was the only way into the house unless she tried the sliding door, but when she looked into the window, she saw her teacher laying there, not moving, with a puddle of blood right at her mouth. She saw the phone lying right beside her.

"No! Please, God, no! Patty!" She attempted to use her elbow to break the glass out (getting to the sliding door would've taken too long and there was no guarantee that it was unlocked), but found it tough to do so. She frantically tried over and over again, but nothing was happening.

"Serena," she suddenly heard her brother yell out from behind her. She saw him run up to her as she turned to face him.

"Casto, she's not moving! My God, Patty isn't moving!"

"Move!" Serena let Casto look inside. "Holy shit! What the hell?"

"Rubeus!"

"Get out of the way!" Serena stepped back as Casto took out his Vulture Communicator and beat the glass with it. Three tries and a loud howl was all he needed as it shattered.

Serena didn't waste any time launching herself into the window and to Haruna's side. Casto rushed to follow her as she knelt down and examined her body. "This can't be happening! Not again!"

"She's a mess! She never deserved this!" Casto said. "Why did he..."

"C'mon, Patty! Say something! Please, anything!" Casto immediately picked up her phone, ended the call that Haruna had made to Serena, and then called the Saint Juuban Hospital. "Hello! I need an ambulance at town house 4B!"

"Patty, wake up!"

"She was attacked, yes! Same guy who attacked my sister's family!"

Serena wrapped her hands around one of her teacher's hands. "Stay with me, Patty! I need you!"

"Five minutes!..._Police will come in thirty_? The hell are they doing?" Serena looked around Patty's body as Casto continued to growl. "Why so long? This woman was attacked by some madman and they need thirty minutes?...Look, don't bother with the police! We just need an ambulance! Tell the chief he needs to fight some real crimes every once in a great while!...Thanks!" He hung up the phone and looked to Serena. "Your mother's right about the police! Thirty minutes my ass!"

Serena narrowed her eyes, looking towards a bunch of pink flower petals that were stuck on the soles of Haruna's feet. As she took one and looked at it, she gasped loudly. "I recognize this! Zoycite used these same pedals for her attacks!"

"You don't think..."

"The Dark Kingdom attacked her, too! Queen Beryl had a say in this! She's going to pay, just like Rubeus will! If she dies, so help me God, I will kill both of them myself!"

**-xXXXXx-**

"Why did it take so long for you to make a decision?" Zoycite growled to her Queen back in the Dark Kingdom.

"I didn't!" Beryl retorted. "In fact, I was yelling at you, trying to get you to hear me the second Malachite started calling for me to give him permission!"

"No, you never did!"

"Zoycite, listen to me! One of the reasons why we never used Hammerthor was because we knew we couldn't communicate with each other. He uses an anti-magic shield that resembles a thunderstorm when he wants to fight, and it blocks anyone else from going in or out of it. It also is able to block anything else that is magical from coming in, though it won't stop any magic that is initiated from within. I could watch you just fine, but that was it. I'm surprised I was able to do that much with the orb."

"She could hear us," Malachite summed up, "but we couldn't hear her!"

"If you could only see me," Beryl continued, "my God, I felt like I was having some panic attack!"

"The machine didn't fare much better, though. We were lucky we made you out when we did!"

"I didn't want to defy you like I did before, Beryl. That was why I wanted to make sure."

"It wasn't that you were, Zoycite, but when you did that got to me. At that point, when he was about to kill her, you should've been."

Malachite sighed. "What about Rubeus and Hammerthor? Rubeus wanted Hammerthor to kill us!"

"And he followed Rubeus' order, not caring who we were," Zoycite added.

"I saw that," Beryl growled, "and he will not get away with trying to kill my frien...I mean, my servants!"

Both Zoycite and Malachite heard her sudden slip, but refused to address it. Malachite only continued, "He's going to try again! He said Hammerthor needed more dark energy!"

"And he said he wanted _his_Silver Crystal! Malachite, I need you to see what he's up to. I need to talk to Zoycite for a moment. Don't let him know that you're watching him. I know he found out last time. I'll make sure he doesn't this time. Go to the observatory. There should be a tracking device there that will let you listen in on what's going on in the Youma charging room. That was the last place I saw him go to. If you find out anything worthwhile, come back immediately."

Malachite nodded, and disappeared, leaving Beryl with Zoycite.

"What do you want?" Zoycite asked with a hint of anger.

"I...I'm sorry!"

"For what?"

"For killing you back then. Even if you were defiant at that point, I shouldn't have done what I did to you."

"Still doesn't change anything about what you did!"

"I know, but I don't want you to think that I shared the same feelings about it now that I did back then."

Zoycite's anger became confusion. "Beryl, you've changed. You're not the same person we knew."

"Tell me about it! It's probably the resurrection that's doing it. I was teary-eyed earlier from how sleepy I was."

"Yeah, right, Beryl! Something is going on! Rubeus is unlocking a side of you that we've never seen! It's like...it's as if you want to help the Sailors instead of going after them!"

"Personally, I don't know what's going on anymore! All I know is that Rubeus is something else! Never seen anything like it!"

"He's a goddamn homicidal maniac, Beryl! I saw the look he had when Hammerthor was beating that lady! He...my God, he loved every second of it!"

"Yeah! I noticed it! He says I'm some legend in his time or something because I leveled the Moon Kingdom. And here I am worried that he's crossing the line!"

"Legend?"

"Yeah! One hell of a way to make a legacy, right?"

"Are you really..."

"Queen Beryl," Malachite shouted in a panic as he reappeared. "He's trying to see where that Miss Haruna woman is going to be taken to! They're in an ambulance now heading for the Saint Juuban Hospital!"

"He's convinced that Miss Haruna is an accompanist!"

"Zoycite, what is with you and her right now?" Beryl asked. "I'm getting it left and right about my so-called compassion, but you seem to really care for this woman."

"I'm sorry, Beryl! I still feel like I should've done something sooner!"

"Why are we protecting these people, though?" Malachite inquired. "Haven't the people on Earth done us wrong?"

"Yes," Beryl answered, "but my main problem is with Rubeus! He's gone behind my back twice now and I can't have that. We'll focus solely on keeping Rubeus in line with our goals right now. That way, this compassion streak is only aimed at making sure we can trust Rubeus, and stop him from ruining our chances if we can't. This might be our chance to get the Silver Crystal and to duck Rubeus. After that, we can tell Rubeus where he can shove that damn Hizrounswa crystal and be on our way to business. Malachite, Zoycite, go to that hospital. I know Hammerthor and Rubeus will be there shortly."

"Yes!" they both said as they bowed and then disappeared.

**-xXXXXx-**

Malachite and Zoycite reappeared near the back of the hospital, looking around and waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

"Was Beryl about to call us her...friends?" Zoycite asked.

"I caught that, too. She is changing."

"Something is going on with her, Malachite. She sounded like she just quickly thought of getting Rubeus out of the way first, the Silver Crystal being an afterthought."

"Here it comes, Zoycite!"

The sirens were blaring as the ambulance pulled into the hospital, right near the sliding doors to the emergency room. The paramedics rushed to get Patricia out of the vehicle; she was hooked up to an IV.

"Patricia, I'm sorry," Zoycite gasped with a tear.

"Don't feel bad, Zoycite!"

"But I do! She even told me I should've defied her orders and stopped him!"

"Let's just focus on our goals, alright? Take Rubeus out, and then nab the Silver Crystal!"

Zoycite would've said something if it wasn't for her seeing Serena and Casto appear from the ambulance.

"Can't believe they would be working with Rubeus," Casto said. "Are you sure that's Zoycite's petal leaf?"

"What?" Zoycite gasped.

"Yes, I'm sure," Serena growled. "Patricia's feet had quite a few on them! Zoycite attacked her, too, and we know Rubeus is working with Beryl! She had to have ordered Rubeus to attack her! Once I get done with Rubeus, I'll go to the Dark Kingdom myself and murder that bitch!"

**-xXXXXx-**

"No, Serena, we saved her!" Zoycite said nervously as Queen Beryl was watching the events through her crystal.

"She's right, Sailor Moon," Beryl said. "It was all Rubeus! Don't be so blind!"

**-xXXXXx-**

"Wait!" Malachite shouted. "It accomplished one of our goals. It's made them think that Rubeus and Beryl are a team. Keeps them from taking advantage of our division."

"No way, Malachite! I can't accept that! I don't want to be known as a murderer!"

"How many people have we zapped energy from?"

"No, Malachite, that isn't fair! You know damn well you couldn't watch it, either!"

Malachite sighed heavily. "Zoycite, even if we weren't trying, Serena is in that state of mind I told you about. She's been unpredictable lately. Who knows what she'll do if she knows were..."

He was interrupted by a rain drop hitting his face, and then one splattering on his shoulder.

"What's going on?"

"Rain, just suddenly! It was clear when we arrived!"

"It resembles a thunderstorm," Zoycite recalled, as she now felt the raindrops coming out progressively harder. "He's here, and he's looking for a fight!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Beryl's crystal began to lose the image of the hospital as the rain started to fall back at the hospital. It only took mere seconds before the transmission completely gave out.

"Shit! Not now! Rubeus, you knew I was watching, didn't you? The energy was so he could block me from seeing anything! What does he want to do?"

She stood up and began to march to the Red Room again, but stopped midway to the steps before she grabbed her head suddenly. "No, this is the same thing they did to me! They hid everything from everyone! Those sick monsters killed so many innocent children! How could they?" She looked back to her staff that she had left near her throne and sighed. "No, not this time! I won't be blinded again! Rubeus, you're nothing more than a terrorist who wants everything for himself! I won't have that! I told you we had a deal, and you're doing everything you can to betray me! Two can play at that game!" She then continued her trek downstairs.

**-xXXXXx-**

Serena looked out to see the rain from underneath the canopy cover of the ambulance dock. "It wasn't supposed to rain tonight, was it, Casto?"

However, when she turned around, she only caught a brief glimpse of something with a huge hammer before it was slamming into her ribs with it and sending her onto the ground.

"So, you think you can outsmart Rubeus? Think again, Serena!" Hammerthor yelled.

"What...are you?" Serena fought to say as she held her ribs while getting back to her feet.

"I am Hammerthor! And my master is..."

"Me, Sailor Bitch," she heard Rubeus yell out behind her. "Let me see! Paranoid Serena? Check! Good girl gone bad? Check! Injured friend who is in danger of dying because of '_moi"_? Check! Gee, Serena, you're such a lucky person! You get to see your friends and family in the hospital not once, but twice!"

"You disgusting slime," Serena growled, starting to get soaked from the rain. "I told you many times to not cross me again!"

"You can't do anything about it! That is, unless you give the Silver Crystal to me! I might let her live if you do so. Then again, if you haven't noticed, Casto can't defend your precious teacher. He has yet to even change to Sailor Vulture, and he can't or else he risks letting everyone know his little secret."

"No, Rubeus, he knows to not care who finds out! I'd rather them find out than to see her dead! I love her, Rubeus! If you took her from me..."

"You have some nerve, Serena! You haven't even transformed yet!"

"Because I had to get it, pal! Moon Crystal Pow..."

She was stopped by another hit by Hammerthor, this time to the back. It was a wonder she kept a hold of her Moon Locket from such a hit.

Rubeus turned his head slightly, seeing Zoycite and Malachite trying to hide from view, though they didn't know that he had just found them, either.

"So, Serena, I guess your new friends came to know that they can't do anything about your demise!"

"New...friends?"

"Over there, trying to keep me from noticing them. You know, the Dark Kingdom! The ones that continue to defy me!"

"What?" Zoycite gasped. "He knows we're here!"

"You see, I got a bit of a score to settle with that bitch Zoycite, too! They were traitors to Queen Beryl, though she didn't care less when she stopped me from putting Patricia out of her misery."

'_What?_' Serena thought. '_Zoycite...saved Patty?_'

"Not a matter. Like Beryl's any good anymore anyway! Such a has-been, caring for a worthless child!"

"No way!" Malachite gasped. "All this about making sure they don't know that Beryl and Rubeus are at each other's throats, and he goes and just says it for everyone to hear!"

"Hammerthor, take care of this pest for me! I got a teacher that is about to become a student. She's going to learn what death is like!" He sped into the hospital doors with a grin on his face and many cackles of laughter.

"Oh, my God!" Zoycite panted. "He's going to..."

"Zoycite, not now!" Malachite pleaded.

"Yes, right now! You heard him! He doesn't care who knows about them feuding. I don't care anymore what anyone says. We're after the Silver Crystal, not innocent life!" Before Malachite could say anything else, Zoycite had run towards the front doors of the hospital.

Serena saw her go after Rubeus, but couldn't do anything about it as she continued to struggle against the Youma who was now towering over her. Without any words, Hammerthor whipped his head back, aiming right for Serena's back. He then started going straight down with a wide smirk.

However, he hit nothing but pavement as Serena rolled out of the way as quickly as she could. She pulled out her communicator and frantically pushed a button. "Sailors, where are you? I thought Casto told you to meet us here!" She saw nothing but static, though she still continued. "We need..."

She was interrupted by Hammerthor charging at her, catching her in the ribs with his head, her feet leaving the ground as he crashed her into a brick pillar and pinned her onto it. She lost the communicator on impact, it falling onto the ground right where she was before being sent a few feet backwards.

Hammerthor grunted as he pushed into Serena's ribs, hearing her scream and watching her legs flail to get free. "Die, Sailor Moon! No one can save you now! Scream like the worthless hero you are!"

**-xXXXXx-**

The patrons inside the hospital all panicked when they heard the fight going on outside.

"No, everyone stay calm!" Casto ordered. "We need to move everyone out of the cubicles!"

"We don't have enough rooms to keep them all in," Doctor Mesta, the same doctor who had treated Serena's family, said.

"We can't keep them here! They're in danger!" '_And if they stay here and I have to transform, they'll know who I am and it will make them panic more. I can't risk that._'

"We can move who we can!" Mesta then turned to the nurses who were cowering against a wall behind him. "Let's all be brave! We're here to protect life! Move everyone to the rear rooms! Evacuate everyone you can, but make sure they will be safe! Go!" The nurses all scrambled to start moving the patients one by one, trying to keep level heads.

Casto turned back to the fight, seeing Hammerthor as he crashed into Serena's back. "Oh, my God! _Sis_!"

"What's going on?"

"My sister's getting slaughtered by that...that _thing_!"

"The monster? That thing with a hammer for a head?"

"Yes! I need to go out there and help..."

"Doctor," one of the nurses called out to Mesta. "We can't move Patricia! She's in critical condition and is unstable! If we move her, we might risk killing her!"

"No," Casto gritted, "that's who that maniac is going after! We've got no..." He was stopped by seeing Rubeus approach the hospital. "No way! Everyone get some cover in the back! Now!" '_Come on, make life easier on me, people. Don't make me have to transform in front of you. You're nervous enough as it is._'

"Oh, Patricia!" Rubeus sang as he walked into the hospital. "Where are you, my pretty little soon-to-be corpse?"

He looked around to try to find any sign of his target, but seeing only terrified nurses, clerks, and doctors trying to flee. Some of them were still trying to move the patients to a safer area.

"Patricia Haruna! Time to die!" Rubeus walked a few steps past the clerk desk, and shifted his eyes to try to find the room where they kept Haruna.

However, he was suddenly tackled from his left side by Casto, pinning his back to the white-paneled floor. "No, you don't, Rubeus! I won't let you harm her anymore!"

"Let me put her out of her misery!" Rubeus screeched, firing a small beam at Casto. He flew off of him a few inches away, allowing Rubeus to return to his feet.

"No, Rubeus, you made her this way," Casto retorted, getting back up. "She's a nice person and provides guidance and education to everyone that seeks it! How could you dare take her away from the students who love her dearly?"

"You talk as if I _care_!" Rubeus shot another beam at Casto, this time a bit stronger than before. It hit him in the chest and tossed him back through a glass window into one of the patient cubicles, his arms and legs smacking violently into the cabinets, poles, and machines that populated the room. "Yeah, some brother you are becoming, Casto! Why don't you just give up and let me put you and her six feet under?"

"You won't...ugh, ever hurt her," Casto grunted as he fought to get back to his feet and into the lobby.

Rubeus growled and fired another beam. This time Casto jumped out of the way and kicked Rubeus as he was coming back down. Rubeus dropped onto his back, but quickly jumped up.

It was then that Casto saw Hammerthor try to crush Serena's ribs in between his head and the brick pillar from the window. "No, sis! I gotta do something, now!"

"There's no use, Casto! No one can hear you! No police, no Sailors, and you got a firm decision to make! Save your sister and let me kill Patricia, let the world know your secret while you let your sister die, or keep fighting me and be powerless to stop me or Hammerthor. The choice is yours, Casto." Rubeus looked back and spotted the very room he was looking for: the glass made it very possible for him to fire a beam right at Miss Haruna's comatose body. "And what do you know, I have a perfect shot from here!"

Casto fumed and charged right at Rubeus, but he was ready as he punched Casto in the gut, kneed him in the same place, and uppercut him in the jaw while he was doubled over. Casto staggered onto the wall behind him, and Rubeus followed up with a double-shot beam that hit Casto square in the chest cavity, making him fall to both knees, and slowly down on his face, nearly limp.

"Didn't know I could be so fast, did you, Casto?"

"No...Rubeus...you don't know what...you're doing."

"Yes I do! I'm making sure you can never hide the Hizrounswa or the Silver Crystal with Patricia!" Rubeus pivoted to see Haruna with a few nurses. They were there with some security officers, though Rubeus made quick work of the security with a gravity attack as soon as he saw them pull their guns at him. The attack made them fly to the other side of the hallway. "Don't worry, ladies! You're not in the way, not that you can be, anyway!" Rubeus knew he could kill them and Haruna in one firm shot, and he powered up a double-shot.

"No...Rubeus...stop!"

"Not a chance, Vulture Amateur!"

"Please...she's...not..."

"Shut up!" Rubeus turned and fired a beam at Casto's back, making him yell out in pain. "There! Now," he continued as he turned back to Haruna and restarted his double-shot, "I don't have any other interruptions, time to eliminate part of the eq..."

Rubeus felt a strong pain in his wrists again. He had gotten shot by something, and his energy dissipated. It came from behind him, and when he turned his head to see who it was, he saw Zoycite, standing there with her arm extended.

"No, Rubeus! This isn't the way!" she harked.

"How could you dare defy your queen?"

"Because she knows better than to let you harm our plans of acquiring the Silver Crystal! We had a deal, Rubeus, and you're breaking it!"

"Not like I care if I do, Zoycite! Look at your pitiful Queen Beryl! Caring about this woman! She's tricking you, as always."

"I know she wouldn't do that! She wouldn't lie to me! I don't like what she did to me, but at least she didn't lie about why she did it."

"And you're a fraud, too!" Rubeus growled as he outstretched his hands and attacked Zoycite with his force gravity. It was effective to a point, but Zoycite widened her stance and stood her ground the best she could.

Casto looked up to see Zoycite trying to withstand Rubeus, though she was continuing to get pushed back little by little. "I-Is that...Zoycite?She's...saving...Miss...Haruna?"

**-xXXXXx-**

"No, not now! Don't tell me he's blocking my view from this, too!"

Queen Beryl was frantically pushing every button in existence on the view screen in the Red Room. She could see all around the dark dome, but she couldn't go into it with the tracker without getting anything but crazed static. She was furious with it, but she knew that she had to make it work somehow.

"Rubeus, your evil is unlike anything I've ever imagined! Even I have my limits! You're going too far! C'mon, you damn machine!"

It was no use, though. The machine was not working within the dome at all. If she couldn't see, how could they hear her? She needed to do something to at least give her a chance to call off this attack, or to at least leave Miss Haruna alone and to exclude her from this situation.

'_The child,_' she thought, '_she doesn't know who I am, I hope. Maybe I can find her and let her know how to rip open his anti-magic shield_.' She had discovered through one of the data banks on the tracker of how to poke a literal hole into the shield, but it was a long shot.

**-xXXXXx-**

Reenie made her way up to the attic, where she had made her bed as before in the Sommers' household. She took a deep breath as she stared into the night sky from the top window. She knew the Sailors were out trying to stop Rubeus, but she hadn't heard all the details. All she knew was that due to Serena's sudden disappearance, she was not able to have the chance to talk to Sammy for her mother. Reenie was doing the best she could, and she knew she was making progress. Perhaps it really would take some time for him to begin to forgive Ikuko.

She traversed the wooden floor and jumped up onto her bed on the wall below the window, and was about to change into her nightgown to get some sleep.

"Reenie," she suddenly heard a bold, raspy voice beckon. She looked around to see who had spoken, but found no one.

"W-Who's there?"

"Your friends can't help Serena or her brother. You must help them; they're in grave danger."

"Huh? Who's talking to me? What do you mean they're in danger?"

"Listen carefully! I only have a few moments! The monster they have been attacked by has a shield surrounding them! It repels all magic except for concentrated fire. It's the only way to rip a hole open in the shield. It'll be enough for me to save your friends and family. I beg of you, trust me and go help your friends. They can't help Serena because of the shield."

Serena and Casto both in danger? What could this danger be that some strange female voice would come out of nowhere to tell her? Nonetheless, Reenie grabbed her brooch off of her nightstand. "If they are in danger, I will protect them! How can I know I can trust you, though? I don't even know who you are!"

"I'm a guardian angel, Reenie!"

"A...guardian..."

"Go, hurry! Make me proud, Reenie!"

Reenie didn't object as she rushed downstairs and towards the front door.

**-xXXXXx-**

Beryl let go of the button on the tracker with a faint smile on her face.

"I'm surprised I could do that with this," she told herself. "I don't know if I should've, though! I'm putting her in harm's way."

She couldn't keep a smile from escaping her, though. "Please, Reenie, don't make me regret this...and stay safe!"

**-xXXXXx-**

"What the hell?" Jupiter growled, punching and kicking the tinted dome with everything she had. However, she was having no luck in breaking through.

Mars felt the same frustration. "We've used everything. All our powers, all our skills! Nothing is even denting this thing!"

"I'm getting nothing but static on my Mercomp and Eye," Mercury added. "It's got to be some kind of device that keeps us out of wherever it's planted."

"And I'm getting harsh negative vibes coming from this thing," Artemis panicked. "Whatever this thing is, it's got to be the Dark Kingdom's doing!"

"No," Luna gasped softly. "Serena! Casto! They're in there! We can't help them!"

"Yes, we can," they heard a child voice say. They looked behind them to see Sailor Mini Moon running their way alongside Tuxedo Mask, coming up beside them.

"Mini Moon?" Venus asked. "I thought you were going to keep an eye on Sammy!"

"I had a guardian angel talk to me some time ago! Said something about concentrated fire power being able to compromise this thing!"

"She contacted me right away to tell me what happened," Mask added. "I was trying to get over here, but the shield was already in place! The shield is blocking all communication, and I know what's doing it: Hammerthor!"

"Who?" Luna yelled.

"One of the special Youmas Beryl had! He's got a big hammer for a head, and can make it rain inside a force field. It's probably why we didn't know Patricia was in any danger! He also knows how to use his head as a weapon!" He closed his eyes tightly and felt a fist tremble. "Patricia was once a nurse in the orphanage I was in when my parents died. I was heartbroken when they let her go; she was so kind and loving to all the kids in there. This can't happen. She's his target, but I don't know why. We need to stop him, though! Mini Moon, that attack that exposed the orb on Ikuko. That should do it!"

"Will take a few moments," Mini answered. "Pink Sugar Heart! Attack!"

She held her heart rod to the darkness, praying that it would work. It took a few seconds, but the hearts began playing out towards the structure, and the dome started rippling on that small spot. She could feel raindrops begin to hit her arms, motivating her to continue trying to break into the dome. A few seconds later, a hole opened up. It was just small enough for the Sailors to get into.

"Hurry," Luna commanded. "We don't know if it'll close up!"

The Sailors all began jumping into the hole, though it didn't close up at all, and once they were all able to get in, they began racing towards the hospital, some yards away.

**-xXXXXx-**

Serena was trying to get to her Moon Locket to transform, but she felt paralyzed as Hammerthor refused to let her go, his head digging into her ribs. She couldn't even speak as she was beginning to choke on her blood. She saw her communicator on the ground, and even though she knew she couldn't reach it, she tried anyway, slowly doing her best to extend her arm. She could only imagine what this felt like for her teacher if she was having a hard time withstanding this pain and torture.

"Let...me...go," she pleaded.

"Never," Hammerthor responded wickedly. "Not until I hear your bones crack and snap in half! Everyone thought that they needed magic to kill Sailor Moon! All it takes, though, is the snapping of your spine!"

Indeed, it was happening: she could feel sharp pains in her back, and anymore digging into her ribs by Hammerthor would cause her to become paralyzed permanently, if not worse. She couldn't fight him like this. Her feet were off the ground and unable to even flail, her arms were unable to even twitch, her vision was severely weakened, and she couldn't even speak. There weren't even any tears to show her pain. She was about to die here.

That was until a red rose came right in between her and Hammerthor's head. It didn't hurt him at all, though it did cause a centimeter in separation between him and Serena, and that was all she needed to get free of his assault. She collapsed on the ground, choking and holding her ribs. Looking up, she and Hammerthor saw Tuxedo Mask standing there, arm still in the follow through of his throw, his facial expression one of anger.

"You fiend!" Mask growled "You prey on and torture the defenseless! I remember you well! They're getting braver with every passing day!"

"You!" Hammerthor yelled. "Yes, Prince Darien! I remember you, saying how reckless I was! I didn't think you would ever break free! I was hoping you would be that goody goody you were before I made you pay for those words!"

"You want to fight? Fight someone who's ready for you!"

"My pleasure!" Hammerthor charged with his head down, Mask jumping up onto the roof of the canopy, firing two roses while getting his cane out.

While they were fighting, Mars raced over to assist Serena in front of the rest of the Sailors, who was still trying to recover from the assault. "S-Serena!"

"Why...didn't...you..."

"We were trying! Got nothing but static!"

"I...was scared..."

"This dome is blocking everything, but we were able to cut into the defense!"

"C-Casto...where's...my brother?"

"He's," Venus began, looking around and finally seeing inside the hospital. "Oh, my God, he was battling Rubeus, and Rubeus is fighting..._Zoycite_?"

"I can...still...transform. I can...still fight."

"No, forget about it, Serena," Jupiter objected. "We got this! You're too injured!"

"No...my brother...he needs..."

"Don't be stupid, Serena," Mars yelled. "He got you good! Stay grounded!" '_So help me, he's going to pay for what he did to you!_'

"Please...my brother...'

Mercury and Venus both nodded and headed into the hospital.

**-xXXXXx-**

Mask and Hammerthor continued to do battle on the parking lot of the hospital, neither side getting much of an advantage, even though Mask was clearly able to avoid Hammerthor's many swings of his head. The only problem was that he couldn't even faze the brute. Nothing he did—either striking him with his cane or using his roses-was working.

"Ready to give up, Tuxedo Mask?" Hammerthor grunted.

'_What's with this guy?_' Mask thought. '_I don't remember him being this tough. What did they do to him?_'

"The eyes, Darien!"

Mask looked around to see who it was, though he thought he recognized the voice.

"Aim for his eyes! I just saw them flash!"

He looked to the alley that ran behind the hospital. He saw Malachite there, looking dead towards Mask.

"Why are you...?"

"Don't worry about that right now! Aim for the eyes! I think that's his weak point! It was when you made him turn towards me that I saw it! Aim for them!"

"Why are you telling him...?" Hammerthor began.

That was before Mask took two roses, and like a dart to the bulls-eye, threw them right into the eyes of his adversary (it was worth a shot). The shot was dead on, and Hammerthor began screaming out and flailing, trying to get the roses from his eyes. The rain stopped immediately, and the sky cleared up just as quickly.

"No, master! How could you...?"

"I'm not your master, Hammerthor! I'm..."

Malachite couldn't finish as he had to get out of the way of a now berserk Hammerthor. The beast swung wildly as much as he could, and was running around all over the place.

"Now he's going crazy, Malachite!" Mask yelled.

"I didn't know, I swear I didn't! I want him dead as much as you do!" Malachite formed two pink energy boomerangs in his hands and threw them right at Hammerthor, who was still shrieking. The boomerangs were met in mid-air by a large lightning bolt coming from Hammerthor's head. It dissolved the boomerangs, and more importantly, continued and struck Malachite in the chest, making him fly into a chain link fence behind him.

Hammerthor continued to fire the bolt repeatedly, and Mask knew this couldn't end well. The bolt struck Malachite again, making him nearly unconscious, though he still tried to get back to his feet. He couldn't take much more of this, and Hammerthor was completely random with where he was shooting the bolts now. Malachite saw one more coming his way. He wasn't quick enough to dodge this one, and he couldn't take any more. However, it was then that he suddenly disappeared as a sudden purple aura engulfed him.

"What the hell?" Mask asked himself.

**-xXXXXx-**

Malachite reappeared in the throne room of the Dark Kingdom, rising to his feet and clenching his ribs. He immediately laid his eyes on Queen Beryl, who had fallen to one knee in front of her chair. He ignored his pain and raced over, putting his arms around his now fallen queen. "Beryl, talk to me! What happened?"

"His...bolts...he's out of...control! I used too much...of my power to get...you back here before he...killed you!"

"Zoycite is still there!"

"I'm trying...can't get any lock on her...those bolts are...hampering my...ability...trust me...I'm trying!"

"C'mon, Beryl, you can get her back! I know you can! You're a master at using your skill!" '_Zoycite, hang on!_'

**-xXXXXx-**

"You got some nerve defying the great Queen Beryl, Zoycite!" Rubeus yelled as he fired attack after attack at her. Anything from gravity to lightning to pure energy was being thrown, and even though she was surviving them all, she was becoming tapped out of her own energy to withstand this assault.

"That's what I'm known for, Rubeus! Defying authority!"

"You know what happened last time you did that, though!"

"Yeah, and I also know that it's exactly what she wants me to do!"

"Fine, be my guest to die!" Rubeus began shooting out beam after beam again. The only good thing about it was that he was firing them away from Miss Haruna, making Zoycite the only person in any immediate danger.

"Zoycite..." Casto said weakly. "Go, girl!"

"You don't know when to quit, Rubeus!" '_He's firing them too quickly for me to counter. He's got me trapped._' She was against the wall, right near the glass of the front window. She was feeling herself becoming drained of any remaining energy to shield herself from his continued attacks, and her breaths were quickening.

"Venus Crescent Beam! Smash!"

"Shine Aqua Illusion!"

The beam shot Rubeus near his heart, making him fall on his back, while the flood smacked him into the wall on the opposite side of where Mercury and Venus made their stand.

"Casto!" Venus yelled. "What happened?"

"Zoycite...she saved...Haruna's life!"

"Sailors," Zoycite smiled. "I never thought I'd see the day that I would be glad you showed up!"

"How did you get through his shield?" Rubeus growled. "It was anti-magic! There was no..._Beryl_! She had to have told someone about concentrated fire! She'll pay for...!"

He was interrupted by the sounds of several bolts being fired over and over. "Oh no, and someone told you about those eyes! You have to be kidding me! You would defy your master to stop me?"

"Queen Beryl is the only one I answer to," Zoycite muttered. "You mean nothing to me!"

"Answer to, my ass! You don't even follow her that well! Don't worry, my partner will hear all about this treason!" He disappeared before anyone else could react.

"His...partner?" Casto asked. Venus rushed to his aid, keeling down to help him back to his feet.

"His magic is unstable," Zoycite informed. "He's going to tear everything apart!" She didn't wait around for anyone else as she raced outside.

"What's going on here?" Mercury asked. "I thought the Dark Kingdom was behind this!"

"No," Casto answered, regaining his strength. "It was Rubeus using the Youma for his own desires! Me and...oh my God, _Serena_!" He broke out of Venus' arms and began to head outside, seeing the carnage that ensued. The other two raced out after him.

**-xXXXXx-**

Hammerthor had made his way back to the canopy, the bolts firing rapidly from his head towards anything that was in his way. Mars and Jupiter got in front of Serena's fallen body as she was still trying to regain her strength.

"What's happening to him?" Jupiter panicked.

"His eyes! Tuxedo Mask fired his roses at his eyes! They're still lodged inside of them."

"It's making him go crazy!"

"He's going to destroy everything if we don't do something! Mars Celestial Fire..."

Mars was hit by one of the bolts before she could finish, her body launching into one of the brick pillars.

"Sailor Mars!" Jupiter cried.

"Those bolts...they're so strong...be careful!"

Jupiter narrowed her eyes at the struggling Hammerthor. "Sparkling Wide...!"

"No!" Jupiter heard Zoycite yell out before she could finish her attack. Jupiter turned around to see her running out. "Your thunder attack will only make things worse!"

"Zoycite? Why are you...?"

"I got a score to settle with this bastard!" Zoycite rushed toward Hammerthor, and with every ounce of determination that she could muster, she fired her pink petals around the beast. Although she was able to do it successfully, Hammerthor swung his head at that very moment, hitting Zoycite and throwing her across the parking lot, getting hit by a bolt in the process. The petals were able to do the same thing to Hammerthor that they did before, trapping him in the beams that they had made.

"_Zoycite!_" Jupiter yelled.

**-xXXXXx-**

"Beryl, she doesn't have much time left!" Malachite cried.

"I know, I'm trying! God, please let me save her! I think I may have her, though!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Casto raced to Serena's aid, seeing her struggle to move. "Serena! My God, you're a mess! Here!" He put his arms around her and helped her get her back onto one of the pillars. "What the hell did he do to you?"

"No time...my crystal...use it!"

"But you know I can't change into..."

"All of the Serenity blood...can use it...I trust you...bro...take it...it's the only other option..."

"No, I can't risk losing..."

"You won't! I'll...still live..."

Serena opened up her Locket and took out her Silver Crystal, handing it to Casto. Clenching it into his fist, Casto smiled and nodded to Serena before rising to his feet, narrowing his eyes towards Hammerthor. He was able to also catch Mini Moon rushing to Serena's side.

The beams continued to trap Hammerthor, but the bolts were not ceasing, firing all over. It was a wonder that they hadn't harmed anyone or anything else yet. However, a bolt was now headed right for Zoycite.

**-xXXXXx-**

"_Beryl_!"

"_GOT HER_!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Zoycite couldn't move nor do anything about the bolt she saw coming at her. She didn't want to die. Her entire life was flashing before her eyes when she suddenly felt a soft purple aura whisk her away, the bolt hitting nothing but pavement.

**-xXXXXx-**

She reappeared in the Dark Kingdom, where she saw Beryl struggle to even remain on one knee.

"Q-Queen..."

"She was able to get you back here just in time!"

"Hammerthor is going to..."

"I-I'm out of energy," Beryl answered. "I can't. I'm sorry."

Zoycite understood, however. "They have it under control now. My Queen...thank you!"

Even though she found it hard because of the lack of reserve energy, Beryl did her best to look into Zoycite's eyes and smile.

**-xXXXXx-**

Hammerthor continued to shriek and fire his bolts all around the vicinity. He was trapped still, though the Sailors knew he wouldn't be for long at this rate. Tokyo was in danger of being destroyed.

Tuxedo Mask jumped down from the canopy to meet Mini Moon as he helped tend to Serena, though he also saw Casto approach the beast. "What's he doing?"

"Being...my...brother." Serena answered.

"What are you talking about, Serena?" Luna asked as her and Artemis also gathered around their friend.

Mini Moon looked to Darien. "She gave him the..."

"Everyone, stand back!" Casto growled, the other Sailors looking on as he approached the Youma. "Hammerthor, you belong to _me_!" He ran, dodging the bolts and meeting him dead on. Hammerthor swung at him, but he slid underneath his swing, rolled to face him, and outstretched his hand. The Silver Crystal emitted a radiating beam at Hammerthor's face, making him screech and forcing the bolts to stop. The pink beams along with the powers of the Silver Crystal were enough to cause the Youma's body to crack and its dark soul to fly out of his body. The small orb-shaped object collapsed on the ground, and it and Hammerthor dissipated into thin air. It was just in time as the pink beams ceased.

Casto breathed heavily as his eyes widened, his arms still outstretched. '_Did I just...do that?_'

"H—He used the Silver Crystal!" Luna gasped. "Serena...you..."

"He's my brother," Serena answered. "Serenity blood can! Queen Serenity could! I can!"

Artemis jaw nearly hit the ground. "Anyone who doubted him being your brother has to be convinced now!"

"Casto," Serena breathed. "I...I love you, bro!" Her head collapsed onto her boyfriend's chest, her eyes closed.

"I think I can convince the doctor to let us rest up before we go home." Mercury said. "It's over now."

"Reenie," Mask asked, "how did you know that the shield could be compromised like that?"

"A guardian angel told me!"

"Guardian angel?" Luna inquired.

"She told me that she needed me to trust her. It was weird. It was like only I could hear her."

"Guess we have to thank her, then," Mask smiled. "Whoever that angel was, she just saved all of us!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Beryl was in her room, still recuperating from the magic use, though she was electing to stand. She was getting some of her energy back, and she had enough strength to stand at her dresser and look at the picture of her family that was on it. She didn't know whether to smile or to cry, and was trying to decide when she heard a knock at her door. "Who's there?"

"It's Zoycite, my Queen."

"Uh...come in." Beryl never had anyone wanting to see her in private like Zoycite did. She kept her eyes on her family picture as Zoycite entered the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Your family?"

"Hmm."

"Is that of your family?"

Beryl sighed deeply. "Yeah. Never got to know them as much as I really wanted to until they died."

"What from?"

"It's...well, it's something I usually don't like to talk about. It was one of the most painful moments I ever had to go through. Let's just say I had to become a queen at an early age." Beryl turned around and leaned on the dresser—moving the picture carefully out of the way first—and looked to her visitor. "What did you need?"

"About my actions at the hospital. Me going after Rubeus like I did. I'm sorry if I went against your orders. It wasn't..."

"No, Zoycite. Don't apologize. I would've done the same thing in your place."

Zoycite narrowed her eyes in question. "You would?"

"Of course. If someone I needed to save was in danger but my superior told me not to, then hell yeah, I'd go and defy them. That person would mean more to me than anyone harking orders at me would. That is, unless that person was my superior and I cared about them enough."

"So, you're not angry that I ruined your chances at hiding our feud with Rubeus or that we couldn't get the Silver Crystal?"

Beryl shook her head as she came off the dresser and neared Zoycite. "That Youma was going to destroy everything in sight. Rubeus had intentions that I could never in my wildest dreams picture myself doing. That evil he showed me today was unlike anything I have ever witnessed before. You were right: he's a homicidal maniac."

"So are we still going to find this crystal for him?"

"You mean this Hizrounswa? Of course we'll keep him around for now. Between you and me, I'm curious now to know what his intentions are with that thing. If he is willing to go to such lengths to acquire the crystal, it must mean a lot to him to find it, and that means there's something about it that fits him. I'm worried about what this crystal is capable of. I want to know more about this Hizrounswa, because there's more about it than he's telling me."

"You think it really exists?"

"Has to. Why else would he be going after people like Serena's teacher or her family or...ugh..." Beryl closed her eyes, biting her tongue.

"I saw that Reenie kid. She was definitely a Sailor, no doubt. They called her Sailor Mini Moon. She's a sweetheart."

Beryl opened her eyes again. "She'll be a challenge, no doubt."

"Beryl, it sounds like you have some feelings for the kid."

"Something happened a long time ago that made me never want to see any children harmed. I had to witness a mass murder of several children. I never want to see something like that again."

"My God! Of several children? What in the hell caused it?"

"It's something else I don't really like to talk about."

Zoycite sighed. "You have us, though. I noticed you nearly called us your friends."

Beryl's eyes widened. "No, you never heard me utter that!"

"I did, and I..."

"Listen, Zoycite. That stuff about me killing you and the carcass cleaning! I was lying to you about..."

"I forgive you!"

Beryl's eyes this time began to glisten. "You...do?"

"I would be dead right now if it wasn't for you risking your being to get me out of there tonight! That showed me that you cared enough to want to see me alive. I know there's nothing you can do to change what you did, but you're doing your best to make up for your mistakes. And I," she turned away from the Queen, "I want to make up for my mistakes in the tower that night. Should've listened to you."

Beryl put a hand on Zoycite's shoulder, a move that shocked the general. "That's what you have to be careful of. You can't let your own anger get in the way of judgment. I was so worried that you put your boyfriend in danger, I didn't know what to do or how to say something about it." She sighed as she had to wipe a tear away. "Actually, it wasn't my decision to go through with it!"

Zoycite pivoted quickly. "What do you mean?"

"It was her telling me to clean up my mess! You know who I'm talking about. She told it was going to be me eliminating you or it would be her, and believe me, though it pained me to hell and back, she would've never let you have any final words with Malachite. I wanted to at least make sure you had that closure, but I never planned on killing you. I had always hoped you would forgive me, though I never expected you to."

"Thank you, Beryl. Yes, I do forgive you, especially now that I know it wasn't up to you. I hope you can forgive me for me attacking you like that this morning."

"Of course I do. I know you were angry."

The two looked in each other's eyes with a smile before they shared a warm embrace, Beryl closing her eyes for the entire ten seconds she had Zoycite in her arms.

"Thank you, Zoycite. I promise you, I won't ever do anything like that to you again." As she broke off the embrace, Beryl continued, "Oh, and she'll be fine. She got pretty messed up by Hammerthor, but the teacher will survive. I know she will; I sensed some of her life returning to her."

Zoycite nodded. "That's good to hear. I hope she can get back to what she does best." Beryl only nodded back as Zoycite headed out of the room. She stopped right in front of the door and turned back. "And Beryl?"

"Yeah?"

"If you ever feel as though you're ready to talk about those days, or if you need someone to talk to—you know, as not a queen, but a person-I'll be here for you. It's the least I can do, after everything we've been through."

"I'll keep that in mind, Zoycite. Thank you."

"Get some rest, my Queen. You need it."

"Same." Beryl smiled as Zoycite went out the door.

As Zoycite made her way through the throne room, she heard someone from behind her shout, "So, you're friends with the Queen Bitch now, are you?"

Zoycite turned around in anger to face Rubeus. "Shut up! You have no heart! You wouldn't dare to understand those feelings at all!"

"Oh, but I do, Zoycite! I know how much of a liar you really are! You tried to kill me back there, if you forgot."

"I stopped you from making a major mistake!"

"Mistake? You thought me attacking Patricia was a mistake?"

Zoycite fumed. "Whatever you thought it was, it wasn't right!"

"So you're becoming soft like she is! Since when did you care?"

"Since I saw what you were capable of! And if you don't want me getting in your way again, you would do your best to keep from crossing me!"

"I won't have to do that! Like I said, all I have to do is to inform my partner about what happened tonight, and I am sure we won't have to worry about you ever crossing my path again!" Rubeus disappeared suddenly, leaving Zoycite to fume.

"His partner? He mentioned that back at the hospital, too! Who is he talking about?"

**-xXXXXx-**

Inside her room, Beryl turned back towards her family picture as she fell onto her bed, covering herself with the blanket. "Yes, Zoycite. Thanks, my friend. And thank you, mother. I knew somewhere, you were still watching me, making sure I did the right thing. I just need to know one thing: why? Is it just the Silver Crystal I'm after? Is it really that at all? Maybe I'm feeling these new feelings because...it's who I really am." She closed her eyes and, for the first time in what seemed like such a long time, slept in total peace.

* * *

Another long one. Wow! Hopefully I can keep the next one shorter.

Thanks for reading, and leave the reviews for me.

Good night and good luck.


	3. Ulterior Motive

WAR GAMES  
CHAPTER 3  
Ulterior Motive

Written by Darkpower  
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)

* * *

Casto lay on the couch of the Sommers home. He couldn't get to sleep. There was just too much on his mind: the attack on Patricia Haruna, the subsequent attempt by Rubeus to finish the job, and the injuries that Serena had sustained at the hands of Hammerthor. He turned towards the back of the couch and stared into the beige cushions.

There was something else on his mind, as well. '_I was able to use the powers of the Silver Crystal. I even doubted that I could._'

It was like he had just finished killing Hammerthor with it. Serena trusted him with her most important possession, and he was able to use it just as well as she could. It had shocked everyone watching, especially himself, when he outstretched his arms and the energy began flowing out of it, attacking the Youma and releasing its dark soul. The most satisfying part of all of it was that his worst fear hadn't been realized: using it hadn't killed his sister. In fact, the attack from Hammerthor did more damage to her than using the Crystal did.

He was finally starting to fall asleep when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Did they really need to come down here now and interrupt what he really needed? What business did they have down here at three in the morning? At least he knew he couldn't complain, as he wasn't able to sleep. He weakly looked into the hallway to see Serena using the railing to help herself down the steps. She was grimacing with every step she took, grabbing her ribs the entire time. His eyes widened as he suddenly shot up out of the couch and rushed over to help his sister.

"C-Casto. No, don't worry about me," she told him. "I can handle it."

"You're in pain, sis. I can't watch something like that, especially coming out of you. You need to be in bed. Can't believe you refused Doctor Mesta's help like that."

"All I need is the bandages. I can handle the rest. I'm tired of crying over every little..." She was interrupted by another sharp pain in her ribs, and she also felt herself choking on something coming up her throat. Her hands gripped onto the railing as tightly as she could, and she nearly collapsed on the steps.

Casto readied his hands in case she started falling. "Sis, don't do this to yourself. Sit down, at least."

"No, Casto!" she cried. "Stay away! I have to do this on my own! It's the only way I can redeem myself! It's...God, Casto...I don't want to feel so helpless anymore!"

"You're not! You were blindsided by that animal. No one could possibly expect you to be able to fight like that."

Serena sat on the middle step and began to cry. "See, here I am again. I'm crying. I don't want to cry anymore."

"Why not?"

"I need to be strong. I was so scared that he was going to crack my ribs last night. My..." Serena had to pause to try to get in some deep breaths. "I felt so helpless...and so alone."

"You weren't! I was in the hospital, and your friends were locked out by that dome thing."

"I know that now, but for that moment, I had no one to help me. I've never felt like that before. I let you down, I let Patty down, I let my friends down..."

"No, Serena," Casto said, gripping Serena's shoulders, "you didn't let anyone down, alright? You made me so proud with the way you were willing to trust me with that Silver Crystal. If there's anyone who is having trouble understanding anything about last night, it's me. I didn't know I could handle that thing, and it scares me a bit to know that I can."

"Casto," Serena answered, laying a hand on his cheek, "the only thing to understand is how much of a kind and loving brother you are. I remember how close we were to each other on the Moon. How you were always there to be my support when I was angry. I could never raise my voice or hit anyone, but you were always able to. You could never show any sadness to anyone, but when you were with me, you let your tears show. We never judged each other at all, even that night when I shattered that picture frame when I found out about the murder of a homeless woman that I was helping. I never knew of anyone so heartless, and I wanted so bad to show him my strength, but I couldn't because I was the Moon Princess."

"You remember that? I remember hearing about it and coming into your room that night, but I didn't know you remembered."

"You came up to my room, asked if I was alright, and I was trying to bite my tongue. But you told me not to. You said that I was hiding how much I hated that man for killing her in such cold blood. You saw me with my fists at my sides. I fought so hard to keep it in, but you said to go ahead. And that's when I saw that empty picture frame."

"I remember we laughed later that Queen Serenity must've been deaf because she didn't hear that growl you gave when you punched that thing into a million pieces."

Serena smiled sweetly. "Yes, and I can also remember you holding me tightly and letting me punch your chest after I did, taking every blow I gave to you. Must've been painful for you to let me do that."

"I didn't want you keeping that all in, sis. Just like I don't want you to hide it from me now."

"You're so good at using your anger as a tool, making you stronger. I'm not that great at handling it. Never been tested like this before."

"That's the reason why you're trying to forgo the medical treatments and the help for your ribs now."

Serena sighed heavily. "Yeah, I guess that's what it is. Maybe it's me trying to hold it all in. You said it wasn't anger but rage. I've never felt so much anger, even on the Moon. I don't know where I handled a gun before. That scared me, too." Her bright, glistening eyes then met Casto's. "I'm so scared of what I'm capable of. I don't know anymore. I need my friends now more than ever to be able to keep me from doing something I'll regret."

She cried into Casto's chest, who answered by wrapping his arms around her. "Serena, sometimes it is alright to cry. You've told me that so many times. You can't forget that now. Let it out, Serena. I'm not ever going to judge you. Ever!"

Serena would've cried a little more, if it wasn't for her suddenly choking again. "Casto, I got to get to the bathroom. I don't want you to have to see my guts on the floor."

"Ick. Okay, here," he said, helping her up and upstairs to the bathroom, Serena shutting the door behind her. Casto stood by as horrific sounds filled his ears. "Serena, you're going to the hospital tomorrow if I have to drag you there. I can't watch or hear this any longer. You're picking one bad time to be brave."

"C-Casto," she said through the numerous coughs, "I'm sorry. I really want to be strong for them."

"The best way to show strength is admitting when you need the help. It takes a strong person to swallow their pride."

"Casto," she said as she unlocked the door and walked out, wiping her mouth, "I changed my mind. I think I need to go _now_."

Casto gave a single nod and walked over to her parent's bedroom to wake them.

**-xXXXXx-**

"I have reason to believe that Zoycite and Queen Beryl are looking to betray you and the Dark Kingdom soon," said a very determined Rubeus within a bright room. Its walls were unable to be seen as they were so far out of the way of the large white rock platform that he stood upon. "I'm sure Beryl took it upon herself to tell the Sailors how to combat Hammerthor's magic barrier."

In front of him was a large reddish-orange capsule in which strange liquid bubbled up from. It was attached to blue rock pillars above and below it, and it had a black streak that moved like sound waves when it said in a booming female voice, "I've noticed that Queen Beryl has been acting rather strangely lately. She cares about those pitiful souls now."

"I don't get it! What's happened since then that has changed?"

"I'm trying to investigate with my Youma, though no one knows just yet what changed. I'm beginning to think that you resurrected some of her past memories along with her physical presence."

"You think it has something to do with the kid I was talking to you about earlier?"

"You mean Reenie? Yes, I was pondering that, too. It could be her morals coming back to her. We'll have to be careful, Rubeus. We don't want to reveal our relationship just yet. We need to keep it a secret until we can figure out what is going on here, or else she won't reveal the truth to any of us. You did say that Malachite and Zoycite are siding with Beryl and not you?"

"Yes. Zoycite even said that she forgave Beryl for her death."

"Did you hear anything else in that conversation you were talking about?"

"Something about an incident that she didn't want to talk to anyone about. I didn't hear anything else beyond that."

"Her room is the only room I seem to not be able to have an eye into for some reason. She may have some anti-magic barrier around that door that prevents me from seeing what goes on. She's always had that on there. It's the one room that's always off limits to most in the kingdom."

"Maybe we should provide her with an ultimatum. Either remove it or die."

"No, not yet! We'll let her keep it for now, just in case she reveals something that she doesn't think we're listening in on. You're my ears where I don't have any, Rubeus. Keep an eye on Beryl and Zoycite for me, but don't be as reckless as you have been. Take your time and keep them from knowing about our relationship. I need to make sure you're worthy to know where the Hizrounswa is!"

The last line took Rubeus off guard. "Wait, you're saying that you know where it is?"

"Yes, I do, and I am willing to share the information with you if I know I can trust you."

"Do you already, though?"

"I trust you to know what you're doing in the Dark Kingdom, but the things I know about the Hizrounswa will shock you. The crystal is unlike anything that you have seen before."

"I've read somewhere that it could make magic implode within the holders and kill them with their own magic."

"It goes so much further than that. Whoever holds the crystal holds absolute power. They have the ability to shoot the crystal's power at anything they choose. It is said that whoever holds the crystal immediately learns of the ways to wield it, and use its power to its utmost potential. You have to understand, Rubeus. The Hizrounswa, if you were to hold it, would make you unstoppable. You would be able to, with one shot, kill anything you wanted, including the Sailors. The crystal has six sides which represents which level of power you want it to use.

"The user would put a finger or an object onto the side which has the level of power desired. Then all one has to do is to fire a beam by pressing down on the two pointed ends of the crystal, and that level of power is administered in your shot. If one were to want to switch the level of power, they would only have to turn the crystal, and press the new side of the level they wanted to use. Side one is the weakest side, while level six is..."

"...capable of killing those Sailors once and for all!"

"Yes, but Rubeus, listen well. The Hizrounswa wasn't given to just anybody. The people the demons of Hell chose to wield the crystal had to go through so many grueling, torturous trials to prove that they would use the crystal in the way that they wanted them to. The trials were demanding, and they sometimes killed even the toughest of men. The powers that were held within the crystal were so powerful that even those with pure evil in their hearts were not allowed to come near it. Fortunately, it has not been hidden well anymore, and I have been able to track its current location. I know it exists, and I know exactly where it is, down to the exact crevasse."

"So you trust me with handling the Dark Kingdom without Beryl, but you're still not sure when it comes to the Hizrounswa!"

"I don't want to take any chances with this information. I apologize if it sounds like I don't trust you yet, but the Hizrounswa is the evilest crystal ever devised. It could kill the gods, which is why you probably thought it was in that pyramid you mentioned. It was there, but someone moved it, and I know who it was, but in order for me to divulge this information, you must prove yourself."

"I will do so for you! If these demons really wanted someone to go through trials to get something like this..."

"For now, focus on keeping the others from knowing anything about this, and don't let them know that I told you anything about the Hizrounswa."

Rubeus nodded slightly. "Don't worry, Queen Metaria! I've got everything under control! There's a reason we're partners, after all."

"Glad to have you on board, Rubeus!"

Rubeus snickered and disappeared out of the room.

**-xXXXXx-**

He reappeared in a large hallway with the same walls and flooring as the throne room. It was more or less just an access hallway to another room adjacent to the throne room, though it was rather long for such a purpose. He started to walk towards the room that was on the other side of the hallway, soon entering a small area with some black wooden torches that were lit on stone pillars coming out from the wall. There was a small window on the opposite side of the room, near the ceiling. The window was one of the few in the Dark Kingdom, and he could see out of it to notice that a mild snowstorm had begun.

However, as he was staring out at the still early morning sky, he ran into someone walking in the other direction. He looked towards the man that he had just bumped into. The man looked towards him at the exact same time. Rubeus saw that the blonde man was just as tall and slim as he was, and had the same gray uniform as the rest of the generals he had met so far. Those blue eyes were radiating into his own. This man was proud of who he was.

"You must be Rubeus," the fair-skinned man spoke. "The one that I was hearing about."

"Yeah, and you just bumped into me, Mister..."

"Jedite. Call me Jedite."

Rubeus coiled his head back slightly. "Jedite? You mean the one Queen Beryl put to sleep for failing to cut it?"

"For some time, yes. But I knew she wasn't going to keep me in there for that long. Metaria retrieved all of us except for Nephlite, who couldn't be revived because Zoycite had killed him."

"I remember hearing about Zoycite wanting Nephlite dead, but I forgot Beryl told me about that."

"Yeah, I was hearing some things about you, Rubeus. You haven't made many friends yet."

"What do you mean by that? Not everyone likes Queen Beryl or Zoycite!"

"No, I mean a mass dislike! You're your own man right now! Everyone in the Dark Kingdom has some allies. You seem to have none."

Rubeus' eyes narrowed. "I have my allies. They just aren't who you think they would be, Jedite. If I remember correctly, you weren't so popular with the ladies yourself."

"You mean me thinking that women can't cut it as heroes? Tell that to the Sailors you're trying to off. I learned that you can't take those broads lightly."

"Tell me about it. They've been giving me problems for a while now. In fact, I was just coming from seeing Queen B. She gave me permission to use one of her special Youmas. I'm going to see if I can snag that Silver Crystal and surprise her. She thinks I need it to go search for the Hizrounswa since she was so impressed by my ability to handle them."

It was Jedite's turn to coil back. "She did? Funny, 'cause I was hearing that she really doesn't like you."

"But she respects my ability. I personally think she's a touchy one, but at least she's got the brains to go along with it."

"Which Youma are you selecting?"

"Hmm, I was actually thinking of someone different. Someone that the Sailors don't know is coming. Don't want them getting in the way. Maybe...ahh, yeah: Meltdown!"

Jedite's expression was one of wonder and confusion. "Meltdown? You mean the female wrestler Youma? Excuse me for saying this, but if Queen Beryl really wants you to use someone like her, then she's really off her rocker!"

"What, that wasn't a good choice?"

"Well, if you like out of control freaks that want to destroy the world instead of controlling it, then yeah, it's a good choice. But I don't think that that was Beryl's motive. But if you say you can control her, then be my guest. Only thing is, you might want to be wary of if the Sailors try to stop you. They have long range attacks, and I don't think that Meltdown has anything other than grapple attacks, though I've heard they can be devastating once she's got you."

"This is why I want her. I wanna be able to have her body slam that Sailor Moon bitch to the ground!"

"Heh! If you say so Rubeus. Just don't say that no one warned you, because I just did. I must speak with Beryl about what she needs me to do. I'm surprised she hasn't asked where I was yet."

"You're welcome to come with me if you want to instead."

"No thanks, at least not now. I'll probably come help you once I talk to Beryl. You go on ahead."

"Your loss!" Rubeus began to walk away, and headed down a set of stairs on the other end of the room.

Jedite looked towards him strangely until he was gone, and then turned around and headed into the hallway.

**-xXXXXx-**

Casto sat in the waiting room of the hospital. This was becoming an unwelcome habit for him. He hated hospitals as it was, but having to come here so many times in just a few weeks was taking its toll. At least this time he didn't have to worry about having the weight of the pain only on him, as he had Ikuko and Kenji sitting beside him the entire time. The sun was just beginning to rise to break the midnight sky, but Casto wanted darkness instead. He needed a reason to get some sleep, and he had so much trouble going to sleep in the daytime.

"You alright, Casto?" Ikuko asked. "You look like you haven't had any sleep in days."

"Yeah," Casto sighed. "I'll be fine."

"Why didn't you tell us about Serena being injured?" Kenji retorted.

"Never got the chance to, actually. I was going to call you last night, but Serena refused any help from the doctor. Please don't ask why she did that, because I don't even know. Tried to call everyone she knew about this before we got here, but everyone was still asleep, and Reenie still wants to help with Sammy, so she decided to stay at the house until we came back."

"Should've told us, anyway."

"Kenji," Ikuko objected, "you shouldn't scold him for something like that. Serena isn't the same girl we've raised, if you haven't noticed."

"It's not like her to refuse any help, though."

Casto was about to say something else when he saw Doctor Mesta come down the hallway to meet them.

"Doc," he said, jumping to his feet with the rest of the family, "is she alright?"

"Well," Mesta answered, "I think she'll be fine. She probably won't like the vomiting of blood for a few hours, but other than that, it should be alright. I'll keep her here until she stops vomiting."

"Ew! At least she'll be alright, though."

"She took some beating last night. She's lucky she only got some bruised ribs. It's an annoying internal injury to have if it's mild, but it could've been deadly if it got any worse." The Doctor sighed heavily. "I just wish I could say the same for her teacher."

Casto's eyes widened. "Oh, my God! Please don't tell me she's..."

"Not yet, no. But I'm getting worried. She took much more of a beating than Serena did. She lost a substantial amount of blood, and she has several injuries, many of them internal. I don't know how she survived this long, but right now, it doesn't look good."

Casto lowered his head, feeling a small tear leave his eye. "She never deserved this." Ikuko wrapped her arms around him gently.

"We're going to be performing surgery on her today to see what we can do about it. Hopefully we can do something to at least stop anymore bleeding, but I'm not optimistic. Her injuries are worse than Sammy's were."

"Doc, you got to do something to save her!"

"I swear to you and to Serena that I will do everything within my power to save her life. However, Casto, if you know anyone in her family, you might want to inform them. She might not make it."

Ikuko was still holding Casto, while Kenji looked to the Doctor with a heavy heart. "Does Serena know of her condition yet?"

"No. I've made it a point not to tell her yet. She's in enough pain as it is. If I say anything to Serena about her teacher's condition, it'll aggravate her own injuries. I know how much she cares about her. Hopefully things will turn out for the better and she won't have to know that her teacher was in danger of dying."

Casto broke off Ikuko's embrace and headed outside of the hospital in a hurry, rushing to the side of the door once he got past them.

"What kind of surgery are you talking about, Doctor?" Kenji continued.

"We'll have to replace the ribs, I think. The life threatening injury comes from where the bones shattered as well as what rib actually got fractured. If any of those bones punctured any vital organs, then she's in big trouble. I know something nearly punctured her heart, so we have to be careful as we do this surgery. We do know that the hit she took fractured the first rib, which is rarely fractured because it's protected by the collarbone. It would keep her from being able to take any breaths. The nerves could also be shot, and if that occurred, then she might be better off dead because she would be paralyzed to the point that she would no longer be able to live independently." The Doctor exhaled deeply. "The worst thing that could happen, which is what we're assuming right now, is that she'll have forty-eight hours to live, if even that."

Ikuko felt her eyes water. "My God. Doctor Mesta, I'll pray for another miracle to happen. Casto's right: she didn't deserve this."

"No, she didn't. None of you have deserved all these attacks on your family and friends, especially so close to each other. But I would pray, too. Serena's loved ones have been dodging some major bullets lately. It's like someone is trying to make your lives a living Hell. Hopefully the luck and prayers don't run out now. It helps that I've got the best staff around; they know how to deal with things like this, but I would be cautious to not get too ahead of ourselves. No matter what, though, don't let Serena know, and be sure you let Casto and his friends know not to tell her, either. At least not until her injuries heal. She only had the common kind of fracture that punctured a vein, which is why she's vomiting up her blood. Other than that and a few days of hyperventilating, though, she'll be fine. My only other issue at this point is what is going to be next. Like I said, your family seems to be a target lately, and I swear I've seen some rather peculiar characters cross my sight recently. Ikuko, I'm going to respect your wishes and not have anyone else involved. But you might want to look into getting some type of additional protection so this won't happen again. And I can still contact the police and get them to assist you in some sort of investigation if you ever change your mind. I know of your opinion about the lackluster performance of the public officials in Juuban, and I'm starting to think you have a point. I would like to know why they can't respond to calls promptly myself. That being said, however, it won't hurt to us to at least try to get some help. Please keep that in mind for the future."

Ikuko nodded and walked outside to see if Casto was still there. He was just beyond the canopy of the ambulance entrance, looking at the pillar where Hammerthor pinned Serena last night.

He looked over to see Ikuko with her eyes watery, though they paled in comparison to his swelling. "I'm sorry, I couldn't take any more."

"It's all right, Casto."

"No, it isn't. She's such a sweet person. She knew what she meant to her students. Most of them wouldn't be where they are now without her guidance. This isn't fair. He needs to pay for this."

Ikuko approached Casto, ignoring the cool morning air as the sun began to shine on Juuban. "She's not giving up without a fight, though. She's not going to die that easily. But Casto, look at me, please." Casto turned around and looked into her eyes. "Don't let Serena know yet. She won't take it well at all, and she's still recovering from her own injuries. If you tell her, she'll get upset and do something that will make things worse than they already are."

"Yes, I heard him say that. I just...She means a lot to me and I just met her. I can't imagine how it would be to someone who's known her for as long as Serena has."

"That's why we all need to pray for her to get through this. Casto, if you need to, you can."

He could only hear his sister's voice in his head. "'You could never show any sadness to anyone, but when you were with me, you let your tears show.'"

"No, I can't. I need to stay strong. I'll have to go to the school and let them know that my sister isn't coming in today. I hate having to deliver bad news, but it's something that I've been used to lately. I'll see you later." Casto began to race from the hospital.

"You can tell me, Casto," Ikuko whispered as she watched Casto zoom off into the distance. "She doesn't have to be the only one you show your tears to."

**-xXXXXx-**

Casto turned a few corners and finally ducked into a narrow alley. He knew he had privacy here as his back collapsed onto one of the exterior walls and he began to cry.

"Serena, I know how you feel now. I want to kill him so bad. It's like he's trying to find the one thing that will make us crack. He's testing our anger and how much we can stand to see our loved ones be taken down one by one. Rubeus, my sister's feelings are not to be toyed with. I won't stand for it, and I'll make sure you know how much I love her. You will feel what you put Miss Haruna through, even if I have to kill you in the process."

**-xXXXXx-**

Jedite waited right at the center platform of the throne room. There, at the base, stood Beryl's Crystal Staff. It wasn't displaying anything, though Jedite couldn't help but be amazed at the beauty of the material that made up the sphere. It was somewhat cloudy within, but the ball itself shined in the few lights there were of the kingdom.

A few seconds after he had approached the crystal and peered at its marvel, he heard a door swing open. Suddenly standing at attention, he watched as his Queen came up near the seat.

However, upon setting her eyes on the tall, blonde male, Beryl stepped back a few steps. "Jedite, how long have you waited here?"

"Actually, a few hours. I was just coming back from seeing if you went downstairs to meet with Metaria or something like that."

"You waited for me all this time?"

"I didn't think you would be asleep. I didn't know you needed the shut-eye."

"Jedite, even I need it from time to time. Especially after we were revived by Rubeus. You've probably seen him prancing around here."

"Yeah, I heard you didn't like the guy."

Beryl's eyes closed tightly. "Not liking him is an understatement."

"But you guys do respect each other, I've heard."

This time, her pupils widened. "I-I _do_?"

"That's what he said."

"I didn't think he saw it as respect. Not that he's respected me or my wishes."

"Well, he told me all about you giving him permission to take a Youma and go search for the Silver Crystal."

Her eyeballs were about to come out of their sockets after she heard that. "_What_?"

"Told me something about the Hizrounswa and that you would need the Silver Crystal to locate it."

"Jedite," Beryl fumed, "I never told him he had permission to do anything!"

"What?"

"He's to be supervised at all times! What Youma was he taking?" Beryl began to pace back and forth nervously.

"He told me he was taking Meltdown!"

Beryl pivoted quickly towards him. "Meltdown? You can't be serious!"

"Wish I wasn't! What's this about him needing supervision?"

"Jedite, I don't blame you for not knowing this, but Rubeus went behind my back and did things I didn't approve of. It's because of this that I told him that anything he does will be watched over by me and my generals. He knew all about it and I'm guessing that he tried to pull a fast one on me. He knew you had yet to be informed of the situation, so he..."

"He lied right to my face! I can usually spot a liar a mile away, too. He's pretty good at it, at least!"

"Do you know where he was going?"

"Not sure. He did say he was going to get the Silver Crystal and surprise you."

"He's already surprised me. Go and find out where he went to, and get there. You're the only one right now that knows about this new situation."

"What about you?"

"I didn't give him permission, but someone obviously did! I'm going to find out who it was that gave him access to Meltdown."

"Are those my orders? I was coming here to get my first orders!"

"Uhh..." She paused as her hand came to her chin. "Yeah, sure. First orders."

Jedite narrowed his eyes slightly at the nonchalant reply, but quickly dismissed it. "Then that I shall do. Rubeus is going to learn that I don't like liars." He quickly disappeared into the air.

"What are you trying to do, Rubeus? Who are you trying to impress? As if I have to..."

"Queen Beryl, you lied to me again," she heard Zoycite interrupt from behind her.

"Huh?" she answered, turning around to face her general. "About what?"

"Miss Haruna. You told me last night you felt her life force returning!"

"It was when I last checked it. What happened?"

"I just checked up on her. She's going into surgery. That doctor was saying something about her probably not surviving! Said she had forty-eight hours to live, and if she does, she might be paralyzed."

Beryl panicked as she raced to her Crystal Ball. She turned it on, looking right into Haruna's room. She was hooked up to many machines, like Sammy had been. She was at least sleeping peacefully, though Beryl could be anything but peaceful.

"Oh, my God!" she gasped. "I swear on my soul, she was recovering yesterday! I didn't lie to you, Zoycite!"

"She must've slipped since then."

"She has. The doctor was being optimistic. She has twenty-four at best. She'll be dead before the day is over if nothing is done."

"Oh God, no! Beryl, you have to do something!"

"Zoycite, calm down! I know how this must feel to you. You didn't want her to get involved in this, and I wish I felt this happening sooner. But as painful as it is to all of us, we can't do anything about it. Rubeus wanted her to die, and now I have another situation."

"Screw Rubeus! He doesn't control you! No one does! You can make your own decisions! You don't answer to..."

"If this partner he was talking about is who I'm starting to think it is, then I can't without raising any suspicion. But trust me, Zoycite, I'll think of something."

"She doesn't have that much time to wait!"

"Zoycite, the best thing that is happening about that right now is that they are going to try something. Let's wait to see what happens after that. Maybe that'll buy me some time, at least."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Pray that we can do something without raising suspicion."

"Beryl, you're not one to be told what to do. Please, don't be cautious now."

Beryl took a deep sigh. "For now, I think you need a distraction. Jedite told me that Rubeus skipped out on me, trying to sneak something past us. I have a feeling that his partner is giving him permission to do these things."

Zoycite's eyes widened. "You mean it could be _her_?" Beryl nodded as Zoycite continued, "Then that could explain your cautiousness. She's always freaked me out, in a way."

"She might be helping him in trying to find that Hizrounswa. I suspect she's overruling anything I'm doing, and giving him protection."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Find out what you can about the Hizrounswa. This thing has to exist, and I want to know why he's after it so badly. It'll be good for you to get out and away from all of this other stuff."

Zoycite nodded. "Okay, my Queen. I'll go and see what I can find out."

"And Zoycite," Beryl added, putting a hand on Zoycite's shoulder, "don't worry about Haruna. After the surgery, if nothing changes, I'll figure something out. She isn't going to die. Not if I can help it. I know it's not like me to help someone live, but I know how you felt about yesterday. I swear I didn't see this coming, and I feel like I lied to myself, as well."

"Queen Beryl, I believe you."

"Go ahead and leave, now. I'm counting on you to get this info for me. I trust you."

Zoycite bowed her head before walking out of the room. '_Thanks, my Queen. You have no idea how much you've done for me by saying that. I hope you can do something to help her._'

After watching her leave, Beryl walked over to her throne and sat down, looking at Haruna from within the orb.

"_'No, how could you do something so cruel?'_" she suddenly heard herself ring out in her mind. "_'She was one of the best teachers on the North Pole! She was such a great friend to my kingdom!'_" She closed her eyes and shook her head. "_'These kids did nothing to you! No, this can't be happening! My God, I could've...please, someone had to have survived this! Victoria, please, wake up! You have to help me find any survivors! I can't do it on my own; there are too many to look for! C'mon, don't die on me!''_"

"She was the only one that I could've still saved," Beryl told herself, feeling her fist tremble while keeping her eyes closed. "It was already in flames from the explosion! She never asked for anything in return for her love to those kids, and they were just taken from her! But I...I couldn't save her. She was already dead." She had a few tears in her eyes as she once more looked at Haruna lying in her hospital bed awaiting the surgery. "Don't worry, Miss Haruna. I'm not going to let you die. I won't allow anyone else to be involved in this fight, especially not you. Never again!"

**-xXXXXx-**

"Is Miss Haruna going to be alright?" Molly asked Casto outside of the school.

"They don't know," he replied. "They're going to perform surgery on her, but they don't know if she can survive."

"No. Please, no. Tell me you're lying."

"I wish I was."

"Who would do this, though?" Melvin said somberly. "She must have some enemies to have someone just try to hurt her that way."

"Sometimes, people just do that because of sport, or they want someone's money or possessions. They don't have to be her enemies. They just need a motive to do it."

"How about Serena? Where is she at?"

"She's in the hospital, as well."

"What?" Molly gasped. "Why?"

"She got attacked, too, but not as much. Maybe Melvin is right; I forgot that Serena was trying to protect Haruna because whoever the attacker was, he was trying to finish the job on Haruna."

"She's a brave girl, then," harked a male from behind Casto. As he looked over, he saw a slim figure that was a foot taller than he was, with a comb-over to his salt and pepper hair. He wore a beige three piece suit with a red tie in the center of his white undershirt. His black raised shoes made echoes on the sidewalk as he proceeded towards the front door of the school.

"She always is, sir," Casto answered.

"Sad story that Miss Haruna had to endure, believe me. Didn't think she would ever anger someone like that. Hopefully we can move on from it, though. Best way to keep the emotions in check is to not think about it and just continue as normal. School will start in a few minutes. I hope we can start trying to recover from there." The man opened the door and walked into the school.

"Who was that?"

"Mister Koa," Melvin replied.

"He's Miss Haruna's substitute that they decided to pick until she recovers from her injuries," Molly added. "Though now I don't know if she'll ever recover."

Casto shook his head. "Move on from it like nothing ever happened? Is he crazy? How can anyone possibly get over something like this?"

"He's been a sub before," Melvin retorted. "He's always been kind of stuck up. Never really liked him. As long as it didn't happen to him, he doesn't see anything worth crying about the day's news."

"Yeah," Molly giggled, "and if Melvin doesn't like a teacher, you know there's something wrong with them."

Casto couldn't laugh at anything, however. "If he's going to make comments like that, then this Mister Koa guy is going to have a problem with me."

**-xXXXXx-**

"Now," Mister Koa began to address his class, "I'm sure she gave you some assignment yesterday. I'm assuming you finished it." He checked a spiral notebook with various scribbles and writings on it. "Yes, she did give you an assignment that was due today. I need to check to make sure you did it."

Casto hadn't even bothered doing that assignment. What was it again? Doing the sentences on page thirty or something? They hadn't gotten that far into the textbook just yet. But as Mister Koa went back and forth to check the assignment, Casto became nervous. He didn't know why he cared so much right now, but with how his first impression on this substitute teacher went, he knew the discovery of undone homework wouldn't end well.

It soon came to pass, as Mister Koa towered over Casto. "Where's your assignment?"

"I wasn't able to do it, sir. My sister was also attacked by that same person who..."

"I said, where is your assignment? I didn't ask you for any excuses!"

"I'm just telling you..."

"Yeah, I know. You're telling me that you deserve a zero for the day, with how you're back talking me."

"I'm sorry. I didn't get to doing it."

"Yeah, and there was no excuse for not getting it done. I saw what the assignment was, and it was one of the easiest in the book. How could you possibly have any excuse for blowing off an assignment like that?"

"I didn't, sir. I'm just trying to tell you the reason. I had a bad day yesterday."

"Don't we all. I don't care what your excuse is. Wonder what it will be tomorrow. I would serve you a detention if I could, but instead, I will have to ask you to go to the office immediately."

"What for?"

"You're trying to get out of a zero for the day by labeling some excuse on me that your sister was attacked. How low can you possibly go to try to use Miss Haruna's situation to your advantage? You should be ashamed of yourself."

Melvin began to fume from the other side of the room as he heard that line. '_As if you care?_'

"How much longer are you going to be in my sight?" Koa then screamed loudly. "Go to the office, _NOW_!"

Casto didn't hesitate at that point, as he got all his belongings and stormed out the door. As he slammed the door behind him, Koa came out after him.

"And now you can stay there until my class is over, and I'll tell the School Authority what happened today. Maybe then you'll be taught some damn respect, punk!"

Casto had to fight hard in order to keep his temper down to where he could just walk away. He slowly paced until he could turn a corner, knowing that the teacher was eying him the entire time. Once Casto knew that he couldn't be seen anymore, he walked nervously, hoping that his tears didn't show again.

**-xXXXXx-**

The office of the school had a few windows behind the desk, which were double-paned within the white walls, opposite the chair he was sitting in. There were about ten feet in between him and the counter, and about forty between the counter and the windows which had a few desks within the space. The only sounds heard were his breaths and a phone that rang twice during the entire twenty minutes that he was in there.

As he heard the bell ring, he could only sigh. That was his warning that the fireworks were about to begin. He sat back in the chair, staring at the ceiling, wondering what he was going to say, or if he could say anything without getting interrupted. Not to mention if he could get through whatever he was about to endure without Mister Koa getting a punch in the mouth.

He heard the wooden door open, the tall teacher coming into the room. "Okay, Casto, time to tell the principal what happened in there."

Casto rose to his feet as his eyes met Koa's. "I told you exactly what happened. My sister was attacked by the same guy who attacked Miss Haruna! I don't know what else you wanted to hear."

"That you're just using it as an excuse! It's not like you didn't think you could get a free pass with her out of the picture, now did you?"

Casto's soul erupted at that moment. "Don't you dare even think that I would use the attack on one of the best teachers this school has had as an excuse to get out of an assignment! You're the one that wanted me to just move on like nothing ever happened!"

"Because it's worthless to dwell on the past. She is the past; she's not here right now. I am, and you need to play by my rules now, or else face the principal and get detention!"

"How could you possibly..."

"What is going on here?" they heard an older man say in a raspy voice. The principal that came into the room from a door right beside the office entrance was a tad wrinkled in the face, but otherwise sporting a healthy, upright position to his short stature. Standing tall in a black sport coat and matching slacks and shoes, it was apparent to Casto that he exemplified authority just by how he dressed.

"This Casto boy was disrupting my class with his actions today, and then proceeded to slam the door in my face!"

The principal straightened his thick black glasses and peered at Casto. "Is this true?"

"He was asking me where my assignment was from yesterday, and I was explaining to him that because my sister was attacked last night the same way as Miss Haruna, I was too caught up to be able to worry about homework. But he wouldn't let me get any of the words out, nor did he care to listen."

"I care only about your work, young man! How can you possibly use that sick excuse?'

"Because it is true, Mister Koa." the Principal answered. "Casto came to me before school started today and told me everything about what happened last night. Though I do think he should've at least attempted some of it, I don't think he should be expected to complete the assignment under the circumstances that befell him last night.'

"But that's not fair to the rest of the students, sir. Everyone was shocked about the attack on Miss Haruna, and they all got their work done! He was the only one who didn't, and he's somehow saying that Serena was attacked by some monster and getting away with using that excuse? What a shame!"

"Serena is not here for that reason, in case you didn't notice, Mister Koa."

"Trying to explain off her absence..."

"Drop it, man," Casto interrupted. "My sister deserves a lot more respect than that! How dare you even think that I would use such a horrible action as an excuse for anything?"

"Then where's your assignment, bud?"

"He told you," the Principal continued. "None of the students had to go through what he did last night, and the way you are acting right now leads me to believe that you provoked his later actions towards you. If it was your family that was in the hospital, would you care about some assignment?"

"In the real world, you don't have that option!"

"I don't know about that, but in this school, we do!" The Principal looked towards Casto again. "Casto, go ahead and get to your next class. You're excused. I will talk to Mister Koa, and I apologize for what led to this today."

"Thank you, sir." Casto bowed gratefully and scurried out of the office, Mister Koa looking at him angrily.

**-xXXXXx-**

The school day had ended, and Casto was in a hurry to get back to the hospital as fast as he could. He raced down the alley that extended a few feet beyond the school. He saw another alley dead ahead that he could turn onto to go straight to the hospital, though he would have to run with a bag of books on his back. He didn't think it was slowing him down any as he panted towards his turn.

However, just as he got to the intersection, he was met by a hard elbow to his face, making him fall backwards onto his bag of books that was the only cushion between him and the brick road below.

"You actually think that I wouldn't know about this shortcut to the hospital, Casto?" he heard a chilling but familiar voice beckon. "Think again! Meltdown, teach this amateur how you really play!"

Casto couldn't even react before he felt a pair of arms scoop him up off the ground and into the air. He could only see a steady stream of brown hair as he was getting flung over someone's shoulder, and then he was slammed to the ground again. His back was in pain, and his screams told of how excruciating it was as his arm clenched into his back.

"How can you use the Silver Crystal, Casto?"

"I'm Serenity blood, dumb ass! Didn't you get the memo?"

Casto didn't hear any other words from what he knew was Rubeus' voice before he felt a dropping knee strike him in the gut, making his whole body clench as his arms wrapped around his stomach.

"Don't play games with me, you amateur! I know exactly what you're all about! You have shadow power flowing in your veins. Those that hold that power are not allowed to use the Silver Crystal, nor are they able to. How can _you_?"

"You got it...wrong, Rubeus! Those that hold...pure intentions in their...hearts can use it! The power that I...have has nothing...to do with...it!"

He felt his hair being pulled, making him come back to his feet. Casto didn't have a chance to fight who it was that was picking him up, but he came eye to red eye with a muscular female face with red lips and pale while skin. She held his limp body up as she moaned at the sight of him, and then gave him a kiss on the lips. Casto struggled to break free of the kiss, but the female only ended it by putting a forearm to his throat, putting her other arm behind him, and slamming him into the ground again. She fell down with him, making sure she heard his agony.

"Ah, there you go, Casto," Rubeus said slyly. "I think Meltdown is falling in love with you already! She loves men who are in pain, after all!" He then cackled maniacally.

"Yeah, Sailor Vulture," Casto heard a sultry female voice coo in his ear, "let me hear you scream in pain! I want to hear those bones crack all over your body!"

It was then that Casto felt a hand begin to touch his neck and down his shirt, grabbing the one possession he held dearly: the Vulture Medal that he had on his necklace underneath his garment to hide. He gasped as he felt her hand grip the Medal and he flailed to get her off of him.

"Let me take this and then I'll break your neck for you!"

Her hand pulled on the necklace with all its strength, so much that he felt his neck being cut into by the necklace. However, he snatched the hand with his own, trying to fight whatever or whoever was that was trying to steal his Medal.

That was, until those hands felt something strike them. Casto heard a loud screech and the hands let him go. He quickly rolled to his stomach and looked to his left to see what had saved him: a red rose. The sight made his eyes widen.

"Meltdown, you're trying to steal men's hearts as well as their souls now? How pathetic!"

Was Casto hearing this right? Last night he had found out he could use the Silver Crystal, and today he was going to be saved by...

"Tuxxy Boy?" Rubeus answered, finally revealing himself on the opposite roof of where he saw Tuxedo Mask make his stand.

"That's my friend and Serena's brother! I will not let you harm him anymore!"

"You talk way too much, Tuxxy Boy! Meltdown, take care of that pest! I'll deal with Casto from here!"

Mask saw a tall, muscular female with a one piece black suit, bare legs and arms, and lace up black boots jump up and reach out for him. Mask barely leapt out of the way and swung his cane. Meltdown countered by grabbing his cane and dragging him to her, where she tried to clothesline him. He ducked, however, jumping to the other rooftop and turned around, throwing two roses, one for each leg that hit at her knees.

"That's your weakness, Meltdown!" Mask smirked. "You can't get anyone from afar! You have to get close in order to do anything to them!"

However, while Mask was making quick work out of Meltdown, Rubeus picked Casto back up by his shirt and slammed him to the wall. "Now, Casto, I believe you still have to answer me a question! I don't believe for a minute that the Silver Crystal only responds to pure intentions! I know Beryl was trying to get it, and she would know all about that stipulation if she wanted it! She never said a word about it, so I know you have some other way to be able to wield it!"

"Like I would tell you!" Casto lifted up his legs and double kicked him in the chest, reeling Rubeus back. Mask jumped down beside him as Casto grabbed and unhooked his Medal. Meltdown quickly dislodged the roses from her knees and jumped back down to flank Rubeus.

"So, you like to grab people, is that it?" Casto grinned. "Two can play at that game! Vulture Medal Power, Su..."

He was interrupted as he saw the two suddenly disappear. He sighed and hooked the Medal back to his necklace, returning it to beneath his shirt.

Casto turned to Mask, nodding slightly. "Thanks, Kamen! I owe you one!" Mask smiled as Casto continued. "In any case, thanks for helping me out there. Thought she was going to crack my spine for a moment."

"You always have that much trouble with women?"

"All too much, though she did kiss me before introducing me to the bricks! But how did you know?"

"Sensed the disturbance even before you got attacked. Meltdown is known for wanting you to get close to her so she can slam you again and again. She's a wrestler, so it's no surprise she was attempting to seduce you to try to injure you."

"She was trying to nab my Medal, too. That was the worst mistake one could make."

"I was trying to find you to let you know about Miss Haruna, anyway."

Casto's mind suddenly shifted gears as his eyes widened. "What happened with the surgery?"

"No good. In fact it's much worse. She won't live through the night, they said."

Casto punched one of the gray brick walls angrily. "No, Darien! I can't accept that! We have to do something! Can't we heal her with our powers or something?"

"No. Trust me, I've already tried that, but the damage Rubeus inflicted on her has become so irreversible that I don't think any of us can do anything about it. I've tried everything I could think of, but nothing changed. I think we're going to have to face the facts: she isn't going to survive."

"Did they give how many hours?"

Mask took a deep breath. "Six hours from now."

"My God! Does Serena..."

"No, she doesn't know yet, but if there's any good news out of this, your sister is fine now. She was asking about Haruna and if she was going to be alright. They only told her about the surgery to repair her ribs, but they didn't tell her that she was going to pass away soon. They just finished telling her parents when I caught wind of what was going on here."

"I was heading there when I got attacked. We should be going."

"Can you still move with your back injured?"

"It's alright. I can still move. Not like it's never been injured before. I'm going there now!" Casto picked up his bookbag and ran off towards the hospital, ignoring his injury as he raced as fast as his feet would allow him. Tuxedo Mask took off with him.

Unbeknown to anyone, however, was Jedite, who was hiding behind one of the air conditioning vents on the rooftop that was at the top of the "T" of the intersection, watching everything as it happened. "Rubeus...attacking a woman? I may not be the best at accepting women as equals to men, but I wouldn't ever just attack them like that! The hell were you thinking? First you lie to me about getting Beryl's permission, and then you lie to me about what it is you want to accomplish! Like I said, I don't like liars!" He disappeared once he lost sight of Mask and Casto.

**-xXXXXx-**

"Why did you transport us back, Rubeus?" Meltdown asked him in a small room within the Dark Kingdom. In front of her and Rubeus was a large sphere of pure black energy.

"Tuxxy Boy was correct. You need some sort of projectile move, or else you'll be a sitting duck against all of the Sailors at once. You need something to surprise them, which is why I thought that now was the time to give you something right from Metaria and myself."

Meltdown didn't object and put her hands into the black energy. Within seconds, the energy entered her skin, flowing through her veins as she moaned at the feel. "I—It feels like a dream! I can't wait to show that hunk Casto what I have for him."

"Now that's more like it. You have so many more attacks than what you once possessed. You can use it to strike him from afar, make shadows of yourself, or drag him or any other Sailor to you so you can do what you want to do with their feeble bodies. And don't forget about Tuxxy Boy."

"That man interrupted my time with Casto. Once I kill Tuxedo Mask, I will do my worst to Casto's gorgeous body. I so want to hear his bones crack, one by one!"

"You may want to change that order. You might want let the rest of them watch their friend and brother be broken in half!"

Meltdown closed her eyes as she took in more and more of the dark energy.

'_Yes, Meltdown,_' Rubeus thought, '_take all that you desire. All I need is to capture that Silver Crystal, and then I can get the Hizrounswa and destroy Sailor Moon's weapon with it. The world will crumble at my feet once the Silver Crystal is shattered._'

Once Meltdown was finally done absorbing the dark energy, she and Rubeus disappeared again.

**-xXXXXx-**

"Casto," Ikuko somberly said as she noticed his reappearance into the hospital, "did he tell you?"

"They have to be able to do something else. They can't just leave her to die!"

"I can try my powers to heal her again," Darien answered from beside Casto. "But I don't think it will change anything."

"We have five hours now, if we're lucky," Kenji added. "They said she may not even last that long. The doctor said there were too many vital organs punctured by the shattered bones. There was nothing they could do. They hardly did any surgery before realizing it."

"Serena is asleep right now, so she still doesn't know anything about her condition," Ikuko said.

"She's going to find out at some point," Casto cried. "I should be the one that tells her this."

"No, Cas," Darien objected. "I'll go with you. She was always there for all of us when we needed her."

**-xXXXXx-**

From within the Crystal Ball, Queen Beryl could only listen to the four continue to talk, hearing Casto say, "Thank you, Darien. I just wish there was something that we can do. I need to do something. She can't leave us."

Sobbing was heard as she saw Casto collapse into Ikuko's arms and shed tears that he couldn't hide anymore. "She was such a sweetheart. Why her? God, why her?"

Beryl trembled in sadness and anger before she yelled, "Turn it off! _Turn it off_!" She swiftly rose to her feet and turned on a dime. She raced behind her chair and slid down with her back against her throne. Resting her arms on her bent knees, she could feel her eyes burning.

'_No, Beryl, you can't cry now. Your Dark Kingdom needs you. You can't show sorrow and sympathy when you're in her presence. They're only collateral to you. How could you possibly care about any of them?_'

However, she could only feel the burning intensify, and then a few tears escaped her. She took a hand and wipe the water off her cheek, looking into the hand as the tear glistened. The sight only made more come out.

'_You fool! You grew a heart for this woman, and you're making your bed. She'll kill you if you show nothing but coldness. You have to..._'

"_'Victoria, come on, don't die on me! Those children need you!...No, there's nothing left! It's all my fault! If I had just listened to the warnings that they were targeting my kingdom!...Victoria, I'm sorry. I didn't know! I swear to you, I didn't know! The children loved you! I loved you! Don't do this to them!'_" A scream of agony was the last thing she heard herself vocalize within her mind before she took an elbow and smashed it against the back of her throne, the impact so loud that she swore it echoed across the Dark Kingdom.

"I'm sorry, Zoycite! I don't want to lie to you, but I can't save her, either! I know I can revive her, but not without that..." She bit her tongue. "I want to save her! I don't know what I'm feeling, but it doesn't feel good. I did grow a heart for her, because I can feel it breaking."

She slowly peeked ahead of her chair to her Staff, glancing at the purple crystal on the top of it. '_Patricia, please, make this easier on me. Fight this. I beg of you. Victoria ran out of time. You still have some time, and I know you can win. Please, you've got to; for your students; for your friends...for me._'

**-xXXXXx-**

"You sure Casto will show up if we do this, Rubeus?" Meltdown asked her master as she stood before the Sommers' house.

"I've been here too many times. They're stupid enough to leave Reenie here unprotected!"

"If we attack it too much, it won't be that way for long."

"Don't fret, Meltdown. I'm not going to hurt Reenie! You will! But I'll be the one who delivers the final blow! Serena can't do anything right now, anyway, so we've got a free pass until Casto shows himself!"

"That's what I want. Anything to get Casto to show."

"But wait, Meltdown! You know, I think it would be better to have him transform first before you have your way with him."

"Into Sailor Vulture? Oh, my God, the things I'd do to that body in that outfit of his."

"Remember, we're here for the Silver Crystal. Once we get that, the rest of the job is easy."

"Yes, deliver it to Queen Beryl and gain her support for finding the Hizrounswa! I know, I know! As long as I can have Casto, you can do what you want with the Silver Crystal."

Rubeus and Meltdown both saw the light into Sammy's room come on at that moment, and a figure sit up.

"There we go," Rubeus said. "Now, Meltdown, want to try out some of those new weapons I let you have?"

"With pleasure!"

**-xXXXXx-**

"Sammy, I made you a sandwich," Reenie smiled as she came in with a tray with various foods on it. She was barely able to keep a hold of the tray as she reached to turn on the light, putting both hands back onto the tray once the light was on.

"Thanks, Reenie. I think I'm a bit hungry now," Sammy said, sitting up in his bed.

"Looks like the leg is healing up."

"It's doesn't hurt as much if I move it now," he answered as Reenie put the tray of food on his nightstand. "I really want to try to walk tomorrow. I need to get out of this bed. I'm tired of sitting around."

"I can help you tomorrow if you want. I finally got a letter saying that I'm enrolled into the school, but I'll have to wait until Monday to start, so I have a few more days."

"Hopefully I can get rid of this grudge I have against her before then."

"I don't think you hate her, Sammy. You just..."

She was interrupted by the crashing of the window. She quickly jumped up onto the bed and shielded Sammy with her body, taking all of the glass hitting her back. Luckily, it was only a few pieces, and nothing cut her. She looked outside the broken window to see Rubeus with his Youma staring at them.

"Come out, child," Rubeus yelled. "Or else you and Sammy both feel the wrath of Meltdown!"

"Not again!" Sammy panicked. "Please not again!"

'_This is unbelievable,_' Reenie thought. '_How many times is he going to attack this place?_' "Sammy, don't worry! I'm going to give him a fight this time!"

"But Reenie, you can't..."

Reenie jumped off of the bed and clenched her fists. "Moon Prism Power! Make up!" Usually she would wear a smile on her face as the pink ribbons formed the matching boots and jewels, but this time, she was all business as she wanted to rush this transformation into Sailor Mini Moon. Once she was done, she hurried outside.

**-xXXXXx-**

"Miss Haruna," Casto said as he looked down at the body of what would soon be an empty vessel in the hospital bed. "I've tried everything, but nothing seems to work. I'm sorry. I wish I could do something to help you. All the magic in the world is not helping you. I don't know what else to try."

"Casto, I think it's time we told Serena," Darien said as he also looked at his fallen orphan mother with a tear in his eye.

"She should be able to take the news. At least physically. I don't know how she will..."

Casto was interrupted by a beep from his Vulture Communicator. Did it have to be now? He opened it up as soon as he retrieved it from his pocket to see Sailor Mini Moon on the other end.

"Casto, it's Reenie. Rubeus is here again!"

"The hell? Does he ever think of anything new?"

"He's here with this huge woman he's calling..."

"Meltdown!" Casto growled. "I ran into her earlier today. Want to repay her for the broken back she almost gave me! I'll be right there, Reenie!"

"But Casto," Darien intervened. "What about telling Serena about..."

"Wait until I come back. Rubeus must know about Serena's condition. She isn't able to defend Reenie and Sammy. But I'm still going. I will be back, Miss Haruna! I promise!" Casto hurried out of the small hospital room, Darien staring at the open door with a blank stare in his eyes.

**-xXXXXx-**

"Come out here, Reenie!" Rubeus yelled. "Or is it Sailor Mini Moon now? We got some unfinished business to take care of!"

Mini Moon put Serena's Sailor communicator back on her dresser—she knew Serena had a reason for leaving it there while she went to the hospital—and headed for the door. When she opened it, she saw Rubeus with his arms folded across his chest and Meltdown eying the child Sailor.

"Pretty pink, girlfriend," Meltdown screeched. "Too bad I'm going to tear all that up when I punish you!"

"Don't be so sure about that, lady! I'm Sailor Mini Moon! I stand for the love and justice of the future! And in the name of the..."

"Oh, cut the crap!" Rubeus interrupted. "In the name of the Moon, you'll punish us! How many times have I heard that? Meltdown, do it!"

Meltdown put out her hands as a stream of black energy hit Mini Moon. The energy was weak, as Mini crossed her arms in front of her to brace the blow, widening her stance near the door to keep her feet on the ground.

About ten seconds was all Rubeus could wait until he yelled out, "Go down already!" He fired his own energy beam, but Meltdown's stopped just enough for Mini Moon to whip out her Pink Sugar Wand and smack the energy away, surprising herself with the action.

"Did I just...do that?"

"Rubeus, I thought you were gonna let me kill her!"

"Sorry, I couldn't..."

Rubeus was shut up by a foot kicking him in the cheek, making him reel back. Mini Moon punched him in the gut, and followed up with a bicycle kick into the same place as Rubeus clenched his stomach.

However, Mini Moon couldn't even follow up as she was suddenly kicked in the small of her back by Meltdown. She fell onto her stomach, which Meltdown answered to by laying her foot onto the injured back and pulling on Mini Moon's hair so hard that she had to bend her back to keep Meltdown from pulling it right out of her head. It made Mini Moon flail her legs in pain, crying out as Rubeus smirked.

"She loves to hear bones shatter, Mini Moon! And this time, you attacked us first. There will be no guardian angels to help you this time. Meltdown, you know how to do it!"

"Ah yes! I do, all right! I can settle for this brat's back to be broken in several places!"

"You coward!" Mini Moon screamed in agony. "Why can't you fight me fairly?"

"You guys never do," Rubeus answered, "so why should I?"

Meltdown pulled harder on Mini Moon's hair. "Shut up and listen as I shatter everything..."

"Vulture Attack!"

A shadow vulture smacked Meltdown on her ribs, making her fall right off of Mini Moon's body. The child was able to get back up, but with pain in her back like she never felt before. Meltdown looked to see Vulture on the top of the corner of the stone wall that surrounded the house.

"So, Meltdown," Sailor Vulture smirked, "you don't like things thrown at you, do you? Don't worry, I have plenty of those! I am the power and unity of the Sailor Soldiers! I am Sailor Vulture, and I've got a score to settle with you!"

"Ah, Sailor Vulture," Meltdown said, suddenly cooing again. "How I've waited for you to come back to me!"

"Not this time, you witch! You won't be stealing a kiss from me this time!" '_As long as I stay away from her, she can't do anything to me._'

"Meltdown, this is what you wanted," Rubeus said. "Do your worst!"

"Not a problem!" Meltdown fired a black orb of energy that zipped upward. Casto jumped to get out of the way, but the orb tracked him down and finally hit him on the apex of his jump, making him fall on his back onto the ground.

'_What the hell? She didn't have that last time we fought!_' He also looked around to see that none of the lights in the other houses were on. '_Does no one else care, or do they know no police will come? Will come in thirty! More like never!_'

"Like my new tricks, Sailor Vulture? It's all to impress you, my sweetheart! I want you so bad. I want to hear every bone snap in my hands." Meltdown once more held out her hands, but this time a wind began blowing against Vulture, dragging him towards his adversary.

'_It's like a magnet! I can't fight it!'_He tried to hold onto the tree bark, but it wasn't enough to keep her from grabbing him once he drew near to her. She picked him up off his feet and began to grip him in a bear hug. More than that, though, Vulture began to feel a green aura engulf him.

"Feel that, Casto," Meltdown softly spoke to him. "You'll forever be a part of me. I'll listen to your bones crack as I steal every little part of you with my signature move: The Nuclear Bearhug! We'll be together forever!"

'_She's draining my energy. How is this possible?_' Casto tried to thrash and break free, but he was nearly paralyzed from the move, falling completely limp in Meltdown's arms.

"What a sight to see!" Rubeus chuckled. "Meltdown's true love, dying in her arms! It breaks my...huh?" He saw out of the corner of his eye Mini Moon began to fire up her wand.

"Pink Sugar Heart..."

Rubeus quickly disappeared and reappeared in front of Mini Moon, firing a lightning beam that sent her into the siding of the house, her back injury becoming aggravated. "You will not steal this moment from Meltdown! Time to spill the blood of the...!"

"No, you will not, Rubeus!" He and Meltdown turned to the left side of the house to see Jedite standing with his arms to his sides.

"Jedite! Well now, you _did_decide to join me! What did Queen Beryl give to you as your first order?"

"To make sure I pay you back for lying to me three times now!"

"What? Three times? I never..."

"You never got Beryl's permission, you never said anything about hitting defenseless women, and now you're trying to harm a child! How pathetic of a lowlife you must be to prove your worth that way."

"Well now," Meltdown said, dropping Casto to the ground as she eyed Jedite. "I remember you real well! You were always saying that women should know their place! I should show you what kind of woman I am!"

"That's only because I once knew a woman who made such a legacy that I was scared that women who were like her would tarnish the legendary status she deserved. I didn't want her contributions to the Silver Millennium to be tarnished, so I wanted to make sure that women everywhere would know their place in history and follow what they really wanted to be. It was her that tarnished my thoughts!"

"Oh, spare me, please," Rubeus begged. "What's with you guys? I resurrected you and you suddenly turn into lines from a self-help booklet! Here I thought you were going to be different from the rest! No matter! I think Meltdown has a few things to show you! I trust you have things under control, girl! I'm going to see my partner! I'm sure she'll have something to say about this!" He disappeared, leaving Meltdown to fight for herself.

She smirked as she began approaching Jedite. "You lie. You don't care about women! You only care that they stay in the kitchen!"

"You'd _break_ the kitchen with how _you_look, you brute!" Jedite stretched out his arm. A large tree branch broke off on his command and flew right for Meltdown. She dodged it swiftly and tried to grab Jedite as a counter. He saw her attempt, however, and dodged it with his own quickness. "You have some new tricks, don't you, Meltdown? You were never that agile! Too bad I'm still faster even after you took all that dark energy like some druggie!"

"How do you know I did that?"

"How can I not? You're so overloaded with it that it's seeping out your pores! You don't think us Dark Kingdom Generals would see that?"

Meltdown growled and charged at Jedite. He jumped over her just as she put her head down, and kicked her in the back of the neck. She staggered, but was able to stay on her feet. Jedite smirked as he came back to the grass below, which Meltdown saw as she pivoted towards him. She growled and began shooting her black energy spheres rapidly at Jedite. He was barely able to dodge them, and the last one caught him on his ankle right as he jumped up to avoid it. He fell on his tail bone, and Meltdown retaliated by drawing him in with her Wind Magnet attack.

"I'll just drain you! How fitting it would be for Jedite to be killed by a woman again?"

"Mercury Bubbles! Blast!"

Fog came over Meltdown's eyes, making her cease her attack and look around. Jedite had a hard time seeing, as well, even though he was thankful for the sudden intervention.

"No, he's your enemy! Let me kill him!"

"Sparking Wide Pressure!"

The lighting orb smacked her on the face, making her stagger, and when she turned her head, she saw the perpetrators: the Sailors.

"Casto," Mars yelled, kneeling down to his aid, "you all right?"

"I...don't know! She drained...my energy!'

Mars rose to her feet and laid a cold stare upon Meltdown. She opened her mouth to begin to speak, but she stopped when she looked over to see who they had saved. "Jedite?"

"You gotta be kidding!" Venus replied. "_You're_the person we heard groaning in pain like you were?"

"She's stronger than I remember!" Jedite answered. "She got infused with pure dark energy! It's like a narcotic to the Youma!"

"Where's Rubeus?" Mercury yelled.

"He's gone to see his partner, whoever the hell that is."

"Casto still lives," Meltdown bellowed. "I need to finish you off and make you become a part of me!"

Vulture saw her step towards him, though he had much trouble trying to stand to fight her. However, he suddenly saw the legs of four young warrior girls step in front of him.

"You won't harm him again!" Venus continued. "Venus Crescent Beam! Smash!"

The beam struck Meltdown's arm, but it only did minimal damage, and didn't stop her approach on the fallen Vulture.

"Mars Fire Soul! Ignite!" The fire spread on the sidewalk right at Meltdown's feet, though she only walked over it without any consequence and continued to pace towards them.

"What the hell do we have to do to stop her from moving?" Jupiter panicked. "She's slow, but we can't do anything to stop her."

'_Meltdown has a wrestler's mind,_' Jedite thought. '_So she would be thinking of this as a wrestling match..._' "That's it! Hey Meltdown!" She stopped and looked right at Jedite, who rolled over near the house's doorbell. "The match is over!"

Jedite began to push the bell wildly, the loud sound making Meltdown grit her teeth. "No, stop! Don't ring it! I still have things to do! I want Casto so bad!"

"Then it sucks to be you, huh?"

"No, stop! The bell! I hate that sound! Don't let it be over! Damn it! Argh!" Her head began to shake wildly, and soon her entire body joined in.

"Oh no!" Jedite gasped. "I was right in it making her vulnerable, but she took in too much dark energy! She's become unstable because of it! That must be Rubeus' safeguard!"

"Why did you do it, then?" Mars growled.

"One, it was the only way, and two, I didn't know how much she had absorbed!"

Mercury scanned the monster quickly with her Mercomp, and the results made her stagger. "Meltdown is going to live to her name if we don't do something! She'll blow up and destroy half of Tokyo!"

"I swear to you, Sailors, we had no knowledge of this going on with Rubeus! Not many in our Kingdom like him, if any! There is a way I can stop her from the Kingdom, but I would need a few minutes! I promise you, I'm telling the truth! But don't depend on me! Fight her!" Jedite disappeared.

"What the hell is going on around here?" Mars yelled out. "Jedite helped us, and then he disappears and expects us to trust him?"

"Casto! Come back to me!" Meltdown screeched. "I loved you! I will always love you, no matter what!"

"No way," Jupiter gasped. "She's still so preoccupied with Casto that she can think of nothing else!"

"And we got no one to help us again, I see," Mercury growled, noticing the lack of notice throughout the houses.

"Let me hold you, and I'll let you come with me into Hell! We'll spend the rest of eternity together!"

"Not a chance, Meltdown!" Vulture growled, coming back to his feet finally. "I have nothing more to say to you! We're through!"

"No, you can't!"

'_Jedite, whatever you're doing, hurry up!'_Mercury thought.

**-xXXXXx-**

Jedite panted and ran through several corridors, heaving as much as he had ever done before. He knew what was at stake, and he didn't have a second to lose.

"Where was it? She's going to blow up the entire town! If I can shut her down, she may become stable enough that I can transport her back!"

He finally found the room he was looking for, skidding and racing into a room with a small orb and a computer panel filled with various buttons. The panel was raised by two brass pillars, while the orb was encased in glass.

As he stopped at the panel, he began pushing buttons wildly. "This was to be used only in emergencies, and this is definitely one of them! C'mon, Meltdown, you're no woman! You're a damn beast, and it's..."

He was suddenly hit in the back by a thick black beam of energy and lightning. Stepping into the room was the person who had shot him: Rubeus, who smirked upon seeing his handiwork. "Not a chance, Jedite! This is exactly what I wanted! The world will crumble under my feet. And, as an added bonus, let me demonstrate how much I desire to see Earth die!"

Rubeus fired a double-shot beam at the controls, and didn't stop until they shattered onto Jedite's body. The destruction made the glass break and the orb dissipate. He chuckled after. "Well, Jedite, let's see the Sailors trust you now!"

"You don't know what you're doing, Rubeus! She's going to kill all of Tokyo if she is allowed to live!"

"And the Sailors go with them! How fitting would that be? As for you, my partner gave me permission to give you your pink slip! There will be a true Eternal Sleep this time, Jedite, and it will be called _DEATH_!" Rubeus laughed loudly as he began to fire his double-shot beam.

That is, until he was struck in the ribs with what felt like a Mack truck hitting him. He fell to the side, clenching his gut while gritting his teeth. He rolled over to see a cold stare and huffing from the woman he narrowed his eyes towards.

"Queen Beryl, how could you do this?"

She kept her eyes dead on him as she held her Crystal Ball Staff, her weapon of choice, growling her every word as her hands trembled. "You try to harm my Generals again, and I will make sure you regret it! I'll make it so bad you would think Eternal Sleep would be a blessing!"

"You would betray your Dark Kingdom just so you can defy me?"

"You have your only warning, Rubeus! I don't know where you came from, but I really don't care! You put your hands on them again, and I swear on my soul, you'll pay dearly!"

"Like you have a soul, Beryl! You're the most traitorous bitch I've ever known! Don't worry, you'll get yours soon enough! Just watch and enjoy the show that's about to happen with Meltdown!" Rubeus disappeared quickly, even though Queen Beryl was about to hit him again.

After a few moments, she turned her attention to Jedite, holding out an arm to help him up. "How bad did he get you?"

"Not too bad, but the controls are shot! There's nothing we can do now! She's going to destroy Tokyo, and I told them I was telling the truth that I could stop her!"

"Here, Jedite, hold this for a moment!" She quickly gave her Staff to Jedite, who took it as Beryl suddenly put her hands onto the platform that held the orb. She could feel the glass cutting into her hands, though she could've cared less.

"Queen Beryl, no! That's too risky! It'll tap all of your magic!"

"Shut up, Jedite! I know that! I'm looking to conquer the world, not destroy it!" '_And I'm not even sure about that conquer part anymore._'

Her eyed were closed, and her body became engulfed with a purple and black aura. She made Jedite frightened, and his grip on her Staff tightened. Nonetheless, he knew as well as anyone that her mind was made up.

**-xXXXXx-**

"Jupiter Thunder Bolt! Crash!"

"Venus Crescent Beam! Smash!"

Even though the lightning-wired beam hit its mark dead on, it did nothing to stop Meltdown as she continued to stagger and began to throw out streaks of dark energy.

"Casto! Love me! Love me, Casto!"

"Not a chance," Vulture sneered, jumping to the other side of the street. "Vulture Attack!"

However, even the shadow vulture could not stop the woman. She suddenly jumped towards him and grabbed him, picking him up off his feet and then jumping with him in the middle of the street. "I will send you to your grave with me!"

"Don't you dare, you witch! Mars Fire..."

"Raye, don't!" Mercury yelled. "It's only doing more to it! The more we attack, the closer she gets from detonation!"

"But she's draining him again! She wants him to die!"

"We can't use any of our powers! Jedite, why did we think we could trust you?"

"We have to do something!" Jupiter cried. "She's gonna nuke Tokyo if we can't!"

Suddenly, however, they saw purple energy engulf Meltdown. Even though she refused to let go of the limp Vulture from her Bearhug, she began weeping.

"No, how could you? I'll never let go of him! Never!"

**-xXXXXx-**

"Why, Beryl?" Jedite pleaded as he saw his Queen begin to tremble.

'_I need just enough to make her stable so they can attack her. I don't know either, Jedite. I just feel...obligated to do something about this. If for no one else, this is for Patricia._'

She continued to tremble, and a few moments later, she whipped her head back and screamed out in pain, a few tears being thrown from her eyes.

**-xXXXXx-**

"Guys," Mercury said, "whatever this new energy is, it's stopping the sequence! It's keeping her from detonating, but we need to act now!"

"What's doing it?" Venus asked.

"I don't know, but now's our chance!"

"Our powers don't work on her," Jupiter claimed, "and she still has Casto in her grip!"

Venus was starting to talk when she saw Mini Moon race past her position at the opening of the wall towards Meltdown. "Reenie, no!"

It was no use, though. Mini Moon jumped up and kicked her in the ribs. It was a mosquito bite to Meltdown, but it did enough for her to let go of Casto again, this time eying the child. Mini tried to get another hit in, but Meltdown quickly grabbed her by the throat and picked her up, choking her with her dark energy. "I will still take you and my love down to Hell with me!"

Reenie struggled to get free of the choke, but was immediately saved when a red rose struck Meltdown's hands yet again.

"No! My wrists! They're bleeding!"

"Do it! Now!" They all recognized that comforting voice of a man in a tuxedo.

"Moon Scepter! Elimination!"

They recognized that voice, too, as well as the streaks of glitter that hit Meltdown before the two silver crescent moons did. She screamed in agony as the sphere of dark matter plunged out of her as she and the aura shattered into ashes and burned away in an instant.

**-xXXXXx-**

Queen Beryl was finally able to let go of the platform. Her hands were both burning and bloody, and Jedite knelt next to her as she collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily and clenching her chest near her heart.

"My Queen, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so! They took care of her. Just in time, too. I wasn't able to hold it much longer!"

"Beryl, you're going to need some rest."

She shook her head, however. "No, I can't just yet. There is something I have to do first. I pray that I have enough magic left to do this." She rose to her feet and slowly began to walk out of the room.

"Where are you going? What are you talking about?"

Beryl stopped and turned her head back towards Jedite. "Going to take a friend's advice. I hope I still have some time left." She took a few more steps, and then stopped again. "By the way, Jedite?"

"Hmm."

She took a deep sigh. "I'm sorry. I hope I'm forgiven for putting you into that sleep. It wasn't my idea or my decision."

"Of course, my Queen." Jedite smiled, seeing Beryl walk away. '_Why are you being so apologetic, though? This isn't like you. But in a way...it feels nice to hear the softer side of you._'

As Beryl progressed through the corridor, she smiled and closed her eyes. '_Jedite, you have no idea how much I long for the day where I don't have to force anyone to call me a queen anymore._'

**-xXXXXx-**

The night was young, but for Miss Patricia Haruna, it was becoming rather old. She was still alive, but on her last thread as the girls, Casto, and Darien all gathered in the hospital room with Serena's parents and Doctor Mesta.

"She only has a half hour left," Mesta said, "if she's lucky. I tried one more thing, but it didn't work. Did any of you contact her family to let them know of what is going to happen to her?"

They all shook their heads, Serena answering, "No. Her family is pretty scattered. I think her parents divorced when she was ten, if I remember correctly what she told me."

"So no one will know of her passing. I feel very sorry for her and her family. I do have a few choices at this point. I can let her live out the last minutes, or I can stop the machines and let her soul go where it will now. Since there's no family to ask, and you, Serena, are the closest to her, I should ask you what you want me to do."

"What?" Serena gasped softly. "That shouldn't be my decision, doctor."

"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't even consider turning them off without a member of her family, as only they can make that decision. But again, since there is no one else that can make that decision, and I do have that option, I don't want to go to a doctor's discretion. A few of the surgeons I've spoke to said that I should've gave up some hours ago, but I didn't want to do that unless someone else who was very close to her told me to."

"No, doctor! If it's going to be me making that decision, then no! Let her live out the last moments of her life!" '_And I swear to God, Patty, Rubeus is going to pay with his own life!_'

"If I can suggest then that we go to the chapel that's across the hall here to pray for her. At the very least we can do that."

"C'mon, guys," Serena cried weakly. "I need all of you there with me." Her friends and family all walked with her and Mesta out of the room, with Mesta turning out all of the lights to her room and looking back with sorrow in his eyes. "Patricia, I'm sorry. Please, rest in peace. You're such an angel. I hope your soul goes to the right place." He continued to walk towards the chapel.

It was one full minute later that a soft purple light appeared to the right of Haruna's bed, and a holographic image formed. The image walked over to the body and placed a hand onto her chest, a purple glow shooting softly through her body from the single hand.

"Patricia," the female figure said in a bit of a raspy voice, "do not worry, I'm not hurting you. I've been watching you and your troubles for some time now. It's not your time yet. They'll find you unconscious still, as I do not have enough strength left to make you recover completely. But your ribs will be healed, and your internal wounds will be allowed to do the same. I shouldn't be doing this, Patricia, but I will not allow myself to watch any others like you who care for the future of this world to be punished like you have. I deeply regret that this is all I can do, but you will heal up to the condition you were before you were attacked. Please, if you can hear me, do not tell anyone about me visiting you. I cannot risk anyone knowing of what I have done. The angels were just watching over you tonight, knowing that your destiny is still awaiting you." The figure ceased her soft beam, then looked towards the machines, smiling at what she saw. "I must be going. I've spent too much time already."

**-xXXXXx-**

"I beg of you, Patricia," Queen Beryl said, on both knees at the altar of a large chapel with purple walls and wooden benches, "never give up your fight. You're a brave soul, and you've made me proud. Thank you, and good luck." She opened her teary eyes, unclasped her hands from the closed altar, and looked up at the wall in front of her. She wiped away her tears the best she could, with a smile escaping her.

"My Queen?" she suddenly heard a female voice call. She quickly got back to her feet and turned around to see Zoycite standing at the large double doors of the chapel.

"She's going to be fine, Zoycite. I'm sure of it this time."

"Did you just..."

"Yeah," Beryl answered with a nod and a smile. "I know she doesn't have a clue that this place exists. I completely forgot until an hour ago that this was here, while I was using my magic to aid the Sailors rid of Meltdown."

"My Queen..."

"No, Zoycite. Just Beryl right now. The more I think about it, the more I hate being called a queen."

"But you are a queen."

"No, I'm not! The more I do these things, the more I feel like it's who I really am. I'm not used to this, Zoy."

"I can tell. First you snap on Rubeus for harming that kid, then you beg of us to help Patricia, and then you help the Sailors defeat Meltdown, and now you heal Patricia a half hour before she was to die."

"And I shouldn't be doing any of this. I shouldn't be caring this much. I'm a dark queen. I destroyed the Moon Kingdom. I robbed Serenity of her peace. How in the hell can some evil, pitiful queen who governs some hellhole have such a heart that she cares about these people? These are the same people who did me wrong so many years ago, and yet, somehow, every time I save them, I feel like that was what I was meant to do. Not to destroy kingdoms or steal energy, but to make sure that this world remains safe from those who seek to do the unthinkable to it."

"Beryl," Zoycite began, hanging her head, "this is the you that we wanted to serve."

"What?"

"When I first became one of your generals, you were never the queen that did all those reprehensible things. You were someone who cared so much for the people of your kingdom. You always went above and beyond what any queen would even be willing to do. Whenever someone was in trouble, you were right there to help them. It was never like it is now. We were so worried when you began changing. I think it was when something crashed on your kingdom that you began to change into the dark queen you claim you are now. I think we just got so polluted by whatever was changing you that we changed ourselves. But I swear to you, this _is_ the _real_Queen Beryl that I'm seeing right now. What you just did for Patricia, you would do without a second thought, and you didn't care who saw you do it."

"Now I have to be careful because of that...that..."

"I know who she is, Beryl!"

"I know, Zoy. She's more evil than I thought she was. This resurrection we went through. I think it's actually a second chance. But I don't know yet. I don't know what's going on with me. The dark side of me is still trying to poke through. The more I help people, the more I hate that dark side of me that wants that bitch to be set free."

"Beryl, can I ask you something for me?"

"Hmm?"

"I want to keep seeing this side of you. I want to be there for you when you need an ear. Those things that you said you didn't want to talk about? I want to be the person you come to when you're ready to tell someone."

Beryl smiled at her friend. "Thanks, Zoy. I'll keep that in mind."

"By the way, I didn't find anything out about the Hizrounswa. Something is wrong here! I know it exists now; I scanned that pyramid that Rubeus bragged about searching. It was there, but it's gone now. Someone else has it."

"That scares me. This crystal is unlike anything I've ever heard about. Rubeus wants it so badly, and if he wants it and is going this far to get it, then it's bad news. Zoycite, listen. From here on out, we don't worry about the Sailors or the Silver Crystal. This Hizrounswa is our main target. I want to know where it is. We find it, and we destroy it before he gets his hands on it. I've never felt so much desire before in my life to stop someone from destroying this world. Maybe I'm changing because I'm finding out from him what true evil is."

"What do you need us to do?"

"Gather up anyone you can that is on my side. I have the feeling that Rubeus is trying to start a mutiny. He knows I don't like him, and is making no secret about him and I being at war. We go to find the Hizrounswa, acquire it, and we put _that_damned thing into Eternal Sleep. It deserves to be."

"I'll see if anyone else has heard about it. We need all the info we can get about the crystal's powers."

"And Zoy, thank you for letting me know the truth. You're right, I did start to say something last night, and I don't know why I stopped myself. Thanks...my friend!"

Zoycite smiled as she watched Beryl exit the chapel before turning to the same wall Beryl was looking up at. '_I ask of you, help her see who she really is. She is a good person. She's being used by a sick, twisted being that only cared for herself. That's not who Beryl is. She was always someone I was proud to call my Queen. Please, help her._'

**-xXXXXx-**

"Yes, Queen Metaria," Rubeus harked towards the orange egg-shaped object, "Patricia Haruna has been healed, and the Sailors have just found out about it."

"They only think it's some miracle that she suddenly healed up like she did," the orange egg answered back. "But we know who had to have done this."

"She must've done it somewhere that we were not aware of, because even I had a hard time finding her after I escaped that room. I only watched the Sailors go back to the hospital and then go to that chapel. Then the transmission on the observatory tracker went blank. Next thing I saw was that doctor go 'Oh, I don't know how it happened! She's still alive and kicking! Must be some miracle!' Yeah, bullshit, doc! It was the same woman who threatened me tonight!"

"We did stop them from using that emergency shutdown device ever again. That is a plus."

"If I didn't prove to you that I'm worthy of knowing where the Hizrounswa is, then I apologize. I never had such a defiant bitch go against me like this before. Not even my Dark Moon Family was this willing to defy me."

"No, Rubeus! You're actually are proving yourself. I want to make sure you're able to handle the Youma, and so far, you're doing it even under the extreme circumstances. I do need you to prove yourself a few more times. You know, just to say that I've tested you. Trust me, you will know where the Hizrounswa is, and when you find it, I will make sure you are the one and only person who will handle it."

"What about Queen Beryl and the rest of the Dark Kingdom, though? You saw what happened tonight! This is ridiculous that even Jedite turned on me. And Beryl healing that teacher kept my plans of making the Sailors distraught from coming to fruition."

"Keep trying on that, Rubeus. You know they've got more than just her that they care about. Even that pint-sized brat Reenie. She cannot be allowed to live. She's too powerful and too strong-willed at it is. She will prove to be a danger to our Kingdom if we allow her to live."

"But what about Beryl?"

"I think it's time that she and I had a little talk about her actions, and I have a feeling that at the end, I will be the only Queen in the Dark Kingdom. If I must, I _will_spill the blood of Queen Beryl!"

* * *

Hopefully you didn't get too lost on that one. Stay tuned, and please leave a review.

Good night and good luck.


	4. Premonition

WAR GAMES  
CHAPTER 4  
Premonition

Written by Darkpower  
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)

* * *

He woke up in a pitch black place. He didn't know what to make of it, and he found out from looking downwards that there was no floor that he could see. It was so pitch black that it seemed as though he was lying in mid-air. As he rose to his feet, he looked around groggily, trying to make some sense as to why he was here, and what had gotten him here. All he knew right now was that he was still in his General suit, and the wound that he thought he had in his chest was now completely healed, as if nothing had happened.

"Whoever brought me here, show yourselves!" his low, commanding voice harked.

"Relax! You are not in any danger," he heard a faint male voice answer. "We needed to bring you here because you're the only person we found that we could warn."

"Warn about what?" the General asked. "Who are you?"

"We are the members of the Dark Moon Family!" said another voice that was nearly identical to the General's. This time, he saw a figure appear from the darkness. He was tall and dressed completely in white, from his shirt to his pants and boots. His short white hair only made the General think that this guy was some sort of angel. If it weren't for the black crescent moon on his forehead, he might very well have been one.

"What the hell?"

"I apologize for the means to get you here. It was the only way she told us it was possible."

"Who?"

"Sailor Pluto, she called herself," the first voice said, as the speaker appeared behind him. The General turned around to see another male who was a bit shorter than the first one that he had laid eyes on. This man had a blue shirt, though it was buttoned up like the first male's was, and he also had black hair. Everything else seemed to be identical.

"Who are you guys, and why am I here?"

"Let us introduce ourselves first," the white-haired male answered. "My name is Prince Diamond of the Dark Moon Family. The man across from you right now is my brother, Prince Sapphire. We come from the Thirtieth Century, and we were once used by the same evil that is now using your Queen."

"Why would I care about Queen Beryl? She never cared for me or her kingdom!"

"No, she once did," Sapphire objected. "But the evil that consumed her was one that no one would be able to resist the first time. The things that it offers are too great. It's not the same person who consumed us, but it's the same type of evil."

"I know who you are, Nephlite," Diamond added. "Sailor Pluto told us all about what happened to you! You were dead before we asked to bring you to this room. She let us use one of the black rooms of the Time Nexus to talk to you."

"How am I still standing if I'm dead?"

"You were dead," Sapphire continued. "Sailor Pluto said that she shouldn't have done what she did for you, but she made it so that you barely survived, though were put into a coma for a long time."

"That Molly kid still saw you disappear, but instead of dying, you were brought here. We were waiting for you to come to, but it took a while for you to heal. So it will be like no one ever knew that you were still alive. Not even Beryl knows you are here right now."

"Why should I still care about Beryl, though? And what is this warning you need to tell me?"

"Listen well, Nephlite," Sapphire said sternly. "One of our brothers is a part of this evil that we now speak of. We called him Crimson Rubeus, but he just goes by just Rubeus now. He seeks something known as the Hizrounswa. This death crystal must never be touched by him, for the results will be disastrous if he does."

"The appearance of the crystal will soon come to pass," Diamond added. "There is nothing we can do to stop it from appearing to the eyes that are currently on Earth. But unlike us, you still have a chance to put right what has gone wrong for our time."

"What happens?"

Sapphire turned his back to Nephlite and waved his hand. A small magical view screen appeared, showing a barren wasteland. Trees were dead, oceans were either contaminated or without water, and the air had so much pollution that it covered the sky in a deep crimson red.

"Oh, my God!"

"This is the world that we have become witness to," Diamond said. "It is because of the Hizrounswa. The crystal has been known to be feared by gods, and it's not just the crystal that you and your kingdom should fear, but also the events that will unfold should the crystal fall into the wrong hands. You have a chance to warn your Queen of the impending danger that this crystal holds." Diamond then approached Nephlite, who was somewhat hesitant to let him without a fight. "A long time ago, I had a chance to have Neo Queen Serenity as my own. I hypnotized her for a while, but because of her strong will and the Silver Crystal, she was able to overcome it, and I'm glad she did."

"N-Neo Queen Serenity?"

"You know her now as Serena, or Sailor Moon," Sapphire answered. "He was smitten with her, but even though he didn't use the right tactics to do so, he really did care for her."

"If the Hizrounswa were to fall into our brother's hands, she would be in more danger than anyone could ever fathom, and I don't think I could live with myself knowing that I just let it happen to her without at least trying something. If he does anything to her..."

"So how am I supposed to do anything about this? If I'm not mistaken, the Dark Kingdom was blown off the map by Sailor Moon! How can I warn Beryl if she's dead?"

"She isn't! Rubeus resurrected her and the Dark Kingdom. Or, should we say, he helped them be set free one more time. However, this time, he also resurrected a side of your Queen I don't think he was intending to. She is showing signs of who she once was, before the evil consumed her and her kingdom. She's beginning to recall times that defined her for who we heard she once was."

"Rubeus has been committing acts that have awakened these memories within her," Sapphire told him. "Trust us, your Queen is not the same as you remember."

"We can send you to her, but that will be the last action that we can do for you. Your wounds from when Zoycite attacked you have been healed by us. Once you are transported to the Dark Kingdom, you will no longer be able to receive any other help from us."

"The Silver Crystal is the most powerful crystal in the Silver Alliance right now, but once the Hizrounswa is uncovered, this will no longer hold true. The Hizrounswa has the power, should the user know how to use it well enough, to shatter the Silver Crystal. If that is allowed to occur, the world we have shown you will be guaranteed to happen. Many others who have wanted to steal the Silver Crystal only wanted to use its power for their own gain. Rubeus is different. He is truly evil, and the only member of our Dark Moon Family who we were willing to disown. He plans to use the Hizrounswa to shatter the Silver Crystal. We know this because we have seen it happen. Let Beryl know of the dangers that we now face."

"But don't let anyone else know where you got your information. Pretend that Sailor Pluto told you everything you need to know." Nephlite nodded with determination in his eyes. "Do you understand everything we have told you?" Nephlite nodded once more. "Remember, once we transport you back to the Dark Kingdom, we will no longer be able to help you, so you are on your own. Beryl is not your enemy. She does not want Rubeus to get the Hizrounswa either, and seeks to keep it from ever being used. Trust us, she's on your side, even though she's having a hard time understanding herself right now. Keep her alive at all costs."

Sapphire and Diamond held out their white-gloved hands as a wave of steam engulfed Nephlite. He disappeared seconds later.

"I hope we did the right thing, brother," Sapphire sighed.

"Don't fret, Sapphire," Diamond reassured him. "They all are such strong-willed people that they will do whatever they can to stop Rubeus. Thank you, Sailor Pluto! I didn't know you could do that."

"Destiny just continues to change," they heard Pluto's voice say to them. "I'm scared of what I'm seeing. You two did the right thing. I just hope we convinced him to at least try."

**-xXXXXx-**

"Not sure what happened," Doctor Mesta told Serena and her family in the waiting room of the hospital. "It's as if her ribs were never broken at all. I took some x-rays of her after we saw that. They are healed to perfection."

Casto looked at the black and white scans of Haruna's ribs. Everything that the doctor had said was true: the shattered bones were gone, and the wounds on her internal organs had small clots that he could tell were a good thing. At least he hoped it was good news. "What's with those small clots on her lungs?"

"I'm not sure, but they are stopping any further bleeding. I took a CAT scan of her once we were done during the x-rays last night."

"Damn, doc! You were busy, weren't you?"

"I also wanted to know why she just suddenly recovered from death last night. I'm starting to think you guys have more than just miracles up your sleeves." Mesta chuckled slightly, trying to make sure that they knew he was just joking around.

"I don't know myself anymore. Some higher power has to be at work here."

"Anyway, the scans showed that the clots weren't clots at all, but small living organisms that are plastered like Band-Aids on her lungs and her heart. Not sure how that happened, but I think I've seen where some immune systems can be rather late to do their work. Not sure if she has some disease yet that we should know more about or not, but whatever those things are, I'm thankful that they appeared when we needed them the most."

"Me too, doc," Serena answered. "Patty doesn't deserve to die."

"Well, the bad news is that these things aren't going to speed up recovery time. It's going to take a good bit of time for those wounds to heal up, but she is in no danger of dying anymore, thank goodness. Maybe a good few weeks to a month, but she'll probably make a full recovery barring anything else that we're not expecting."

"Well, these organisms don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon," Casto grinned, "so I'm guessing she'll be alright."

"I have to go take a look to see if there are any more injuries she sustained. Sometimes it takes days to discover something, even for us experts. Wish the tools were somewhat updated to where we didn't have to wait as long to find out something like that. I'll update you if I find out anything else or if her condition changes. And Serena, I'm sorry for having put such a responsibility on you last night. It wasn't in my right to do so, and I hope you can forgive me."

"No, it's alright, doc. You were only doing what you thought was best."

"Thanks! I'll call you if anything changes. Let me know if you experience any more difficulties with your own injuries." Serena nodded as Mesta left them to go back to his office.

"Not organisms, but magic," Casto whispered after the doctor left. Ikuko and Kenji, who were only listening in up to this point, looked to him confused.

"What do you mean, bro?" "I used some of my Vulture magic on her last night to see if it would help her, but it didn't look like it was working, and I was going to try again when I got that call from Reenie. I guess it did work."

"You know Luna will be pissed if Patty's destiny was to die at that moment and you stopped that from happening."

"I don't care, sis! You know full well how much I hate using that word so definitively! Let her be pissed. I'm tired of seeing our friends go through this hell and not being able to do anything about it. She should be angrier at the police who took their grand old time getting there."

"So you know why I didn't call them at all when Rubeus attacked us that one night, do you?" Ikuko asked.

"Yeah. When we found Miss Haruna lying there in her blood, I called the ambulance. They were there in a flash, but they said that the police would take thirty minutes to arrive. And then last night when I was fighting Meltdown, there should've been a hoard of police there. It was in a populated neighborhood. Yet, there was nothing going on. It was as if the people that were watching, if any, didn't care. Yes, Ikuko, I know what you mean now. Something's going on with these police. Never seen public officials so unwilling to do their damn jobs of protecting and serving the community. Never seen so many people not bother trying to do anything about it."

"Speaking of the talking cats," Kenji interjected, "where have they been?"

"I thought they were at the Shrine last night," Serena answered. "That what I was told! I didn't even think of asking about them because I was so preoccupied with everything else. None of us saw them all day, from what I've been hearing."

"Yeah, that struck me as odd, too," Casto said. "I could've sworn they would've at least tried to get in touch with us so we knew what the hell was going on."

"You think maybe Rubeus got to them, too?" Ikuko asked.

"Oh God, I hope not," Serena gasped. "Although it wouldn't surprise me if he tried. It seems he's been having a pattern of going after my loved ones."

"He keeps going after the house," Casto added. "It's like there's something else there that he wants besides your family. Or maybe he's using it to lure us to fight him."

"Speaking of fights, Casto," Ikuko said, "what was this about you getting into some hot water at school yesterday? Heard a few kids talking outside about some incident with you and some substitute."

"Oh, my God," he groaned as he rolled his eyes and his head. "Mister Koa. I couldn't believe the audacity of that asshole. He actually thought school was more important than what was going on with our friends. He insisted that I should've finished my assignment the night Miss Haruna was attacked, and when I tried to tell him, that's when everything started. Thankfully the principal saw things my way, but that's beside the point."

"Mister Koa is her replacement?" Serena asked with her eyes widened. "I hate him! If no one or nothing else, _he's_the reason why I call school the Halls of Torture! He never cares about anything but making himself look good. Deaths of family members, sickness, not understanding the assignment! It doesn't matter to him! He wants everything done to perfection, and if even one thing is wrong, he gave you an F for the day and he curses at you for a good ten minutes. He's had students just walk out of his classes before! Thing is, the School Authority loves him for some reason. I'd rather repeat middle school than be in one of his classes."

"Didn't he get in trouble once for hitting one of his students?" Kenji asked.

"They never could prove it. They never found any bruises on the student that said that he punched him. Plus it was his word over ours, and the School Authority seems to always side with the adult, even when the entire school knows and tells them otherwise. I heard about it, though."

"I just hope he's learned his lesson." Ikuko sighed. "I trust Casto to not let him put his hands on either himself or Serena."

"Don't worry, Ikuko. Sis and I will be able to get past him. I know what to expect from him now, and I'll be damned before I let him get to me again. And if he does anything to my baby sis after everything she's been through, I will make sure the School Authority knows all about him."

**-xXXXXx-**

Queen Beryl, for the first time in a while, had a good night's sleep, but it was time to get to business. She walked out of her bedroom and towards the throne in the center of the room, but stopped right on the side of the chair. She put her hand onto the armrest and slowly rubbed her palm across the marble. It was smooth to the touch as always, but that wasn't why she was pacing around the thing.

'_This chair. This was where it all started. I asked for them to build a bedroom adjacent to the throne room because I wanted to be ready for anything. I haven't used the master bedroom in years. They always asked me to use the other bedroom, but I couldn't do it, and I still use this one. If something happened, I wanted to be the first one to be there for them. Zoycite, you're correct. I wasn't like this. I've never been so confused before. I just..._'

"Queen Beryl," she heard a raspy female voice beckon out to her, "report to me this instant!"

'_Oh, God! What is this for?_' Beryl closed her eyes as her body disappeared.

**-xXXXXx-**

She knelt on one knee and put her fist to her heart to salute Queen Metaria. However, for the first time since she first met the being in this egg, Beryl could feel herself having to keep from vomiting.

"You have some explaining to do, Queen Beryl! Tell me, why is it that you continue to aid our enemies?"

"You're wrong, Metaria! Rubeus is not our ally! He's using us to promote his own agenda! He's done whatever he can to anger me and all of my generals! It's only a matter of time before he gets to you, too!"

"No, Beryl, you're the one who's wrong. I've been waiting for a man such as Rubeus who knows how to get the job done! You have failed many times to give me what I need. I ask for energy to break free and rule this world! But ever since Rubeus released us, I have seen nothing but betrayal after pitiful betrayal from you. Care to explain why you used your magic to help the Sailors defeat Meltdown last night?"

"She was going to nuke the entire city of Tokyo! What good is a world we want to rule if there's no one left in it?"

"Beryl, you forget what we're here for!"

Beryl's eyes narrowed as she got back to both her feet. "What? To destroy nations? To kill innocent people in cold blood that have nothing to do with our goal like Rubeus tried to do the other day? Is that what your goal is? Because it sure as hell isn't mine! I want the Silver Crystal as my own to get whatever revenge you convinced me I need to extract on those that did me wrong. I have no clue why you want to be free of this prison!"

"How dare you question my motives, Beryl? Rubeus is right: you have changed, and I don't like the way you're changing! So I'm going to be keeping a close eye on you from now on! You are to remove the magic that keeps me from seeing you in your bedroom. I want to know everything your thinking at all times. From now on, no more free thoughts. You will follow my every order, to the letter. Is that clear?" Metaria got no answer. "I said, is that clear?"

"No, Metaria!"

"_What_?"

Beryl gritted her teeth. "I said _no_! That's the only place I get any time to myself! I will not let you see into my only privacy!"

"But you will, or face the consequences! Remember, you're not the only one that can put Jedite into Eternal Sleep, or make Malachite clean Zoycite's carcass from the floor, or burn an entire kingdom to the ground. I can and will do it. Do not think for a second that I'm bluffing, because you know how much power I have! Now, I ask one more time. Do I make myself clear?"

'_No one controls me. I never used to be such a pitiful excuse for a queen._' "You have some nerve, Metaria! If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't get any energy to break free! If you want me to continue to feed you this energy, you will let me at least have my privacy! I'm not bluffing, either! You're nothing without your energy! Until you break free, you can't do a damn thing to me or my Generals, and if you even think of doing anything to them, so help me, I'll kill you right where you stand!"

"You have no desires to let them live, just like you didn't before."

"Because I thought I never had a choice before! Now I know I do, and I'm choosing to, for once, be who I am! I'm Queen Beryl, and I'm the one and only ruler of the Dark Kingdom, and you can go screw yourself for all I care!"

"Then you leave me no choice! I'm going to have my way somehow, and if you won't do that, then you shall pay the piper!"

Beryl just barely jumped out of the way of a swift bolt of energy that came from right above her. She dodged a few more before she heard the egg cackle in laughter.

"Such a pitiful being! Trying to defy her master! I know it was you who cured the teacher! You had some guts going to a place I didn't know you had! Your orders were to let her die, and to enjoy her death!"

"How cold do you really think I am, Metaria?"

"It's Master Metaria, you bitch!"

"'Master' my ass, and you're the only bitch here! You harm my friends, and I'll break that egg before it's ready to hatch!"

"You don't have the nerve, or else you'd do it already! Rubeus has already gone out with his next Youma, Infertoad! And this time, you will not interfere! I trust him far more than I trust you! I will make sure he is not supervised this time!"

"Infertoad? Unsupervised? Have you lost your mind? He can break Tokyo in two, and you don't care!"

"The Silver Crystal will be ours! You should care! Oh, and stop caring about the kid. I knew it was you who told her how to break through Hammerthor's barrier! I'll put a stop to that, too!"

"You do one thing to Reenie, and I'll..."

"Try it, Queen Beryl! See what you'll get! Like I said, you know you can't or else you would've done it already! I can and will let him kill the kid, the teacher, the students, the town, the city, the world! I will get what I want!"

"What about me? What about what I want?"

"He's correct! You're nothing but a has-been! Do what I ordered or else your so-called friends die!"

Beryl felt her entire body quake and her eyes water. Her hands were in pain with how tightly they were clenching up, and she bit her tongue so hard. Finally, she threw a hand across her body and disappeared from Metaria's sight.

**-xXXXXx-**

Beryl reappeared back in the throne room, with Zoycite standing in front of the throne platform awaiting her.

"My Queen," she asked, "why are you..."

"No, Zoy, please don't! I'm sick of this! It's like this every goddamn time I try to show any kind of sympathy! She's killing this kingdom!"

"She doesn't control you, Beryl! She's just a fiend in an egg!"

"She threatened to kill you guys if I don't comply with everything! I don't want to endanger any of you anymore!"

"Let her try!" Zoycite growled. "She won't do anything to me at all, and she damn sure won't do anything to you! I heard those shots she fired at you! The deals off with me and her! If she wants energy from me, she can forget it!"

"Z-Zoy?"

"No one is going to try to kill any of my friends and get away with it. If she wants a fight, she can fight me!"

"No, Zoy! Don't! Please! You don't have to do any of this for me! I don't deserve it! Hell, I don't deserve being the Queen of this Godforsaken place! Zoy, do me a favor and keep an eye out on this kingdom for me! You're the queen until I return!" Beryl began to walk towards her protected bedroom.

"Why, where are you going?"

Beryl stopped dead in her tracks. "Going to get away for a little while! I'm going to go crazy if I stay here any longer. I'll be back, but I need some time to myself!" She headed into her bedroom and slammed the door.

'_My Queen,_' Zoycite thought, '_tell me! Please, we need you! Something's bothering you, and I want to know what it is! You can trust me, Beryl! I need you!_'

**-xXXXXx-**

Beryl collapsed on her queen-sized bed and began sobbing. She didn't care who heard her at this point.

"Metaria, you bitch! If you ever harm anyone I care about again, I'll kill you! I don't give a damn anymore about who knows that I'm growing a heart! You messed with the wrong person! But I still can't do anything about it! She's right; I'm powerless as long as Rubeus and her trust each other!"

"_'That way, Queen B!' 'Go get 'em, B!' 'I love you, B!' 'I want to be like her someday! She's so awesome!' 'Look at her go! She's going to get that bad man!' 'B told us to go out this way!' 'Oh, my God! More bad men!' 'Let me go! B, help me! I'm scared!"_"

The kids' voices wouldn't escape her head, and then she heard a sound of a window breaking, and a loud explosion. The detonation was as horrifying as it was loud, and just the reminder of the sound in her mind made her jaw drop and her eyes glisten even more. "No, why did I let it happen? I let all of them down!"

She sniffled one more time, and rose back to her feet, moving to the back of the room and looking at the wall opposite the bed. "Another reason why I kept this room from her view was so that I could escape from this place for a while without her knowing. If I didn't have this release, I would've gone insane." She turned around and opened up her closet. She laid her eyes on her desire and grinned. "The only thing that gives me peace anymore. I just hope it wasn't destroyed, too."

**-xXXXXx-**

Casto couldn't even look at him without sneering, and as he just looked over at Serena in the desk beside him, he got reassurance from her by a nod that he was correct.

"Casto, turn around!" he heard Mister Koa scream at the top of his lungs. "Pay attention to what I'm saying! You don't want to get another F for the day, do you?" He just shook his head at the tall male teacher. "Then let's...well, actually, now that I think about it, maybe your sister would like to explain why she was absent today, and where that assignment is!"

"You can't be serious!" Serena gasped. "I was in the hospital with broken ribs! I had a doctor's excuse admitting me back!"

"Yeah, bull! You remember what it was, correct?"

"No, I do not!"

"Then that's an F for that day!"

"Now hold on, Mister Koa! How fair is that to her?" Casto yelled. "Okay, so maybe I should've at least attempted to do the assignment that day, but she was the one who was attacked."

"She's fine now, is she? It's just a damn excuse, and I will not tolerate excuses! Pay attention, or it will be an F for this day, too, for both of you! And that goes for all of you! One peep out of any of you and I'll make sure the principal knows everything about your disruptions, and you get F's for the day! Now, let's continue!"

As Mister Koa went back to his lessons and turned towards the chalkboard, Casto looked around and saw Melvin staring at him, but pointing to him and Casto before making a cut throat sign and finally pointing to Koa. Casto nodded and swiveled around before he was caught doing so.

**-xXXXXx-**

As Casto and Serena were walking home from school, Melvin caught up with them. "Serena, Casto, wait up!" He had some trouble trying to catch them on the uneven bricked sidewalk. However, upon hearing him, the two stopped and turned around.

"Mel?" Casto questioned. "What were you telling me earlier?"

"About Mister Koa? Yeah, he's gotta go! I think I can get a few other people with us on this. We need to go to the principal about it, because we can't trust the School Authority to do its job."

"It's gonna be tough to go against him, though," Serena said. "You know he's got the Authority on his side."

"But they'll believe the Principal if we convince him about Koa," Casto objected. "He was the one who excused me yesterday, and was telling Mister Koa all about some decency."

"If the Principal excused your absence, then Mister Koa can't do anything about it, nor can he give anyone who was excused an F for anything." Melvin sighed. "I can see how many others are with me on this. Casto, you're much stronger than I am, so if he tries to hurt us, I know you got our backs."

"You let me know if he puts his hands on anyone, Mel! I heard about his incident!"

"I know about that incident. I was one of the students present the day he abused that kid."

Serena gasped. "You were?"

"I was so mad when they believed him over every single one of us! He had the scars to prove it."

"I thought they couldn't get him in trouble because he didn't have any!"

"That's what the SA wanted you to believe. They saw them, but they didn't care to notice."

"Then we're working without a safety net here! But I want this guy to learn his lesson! I'm with you on this, Mel?"

"So am I," Serena said with a stern tone. "I hate him! I'll do what I can!"

"Thanks, guys! Molly said she needed to find out a bit more to know if it could work or not before she joins in. She's just requesting to be in another teacher's class until Miss Haruna returns. Don't know if they will allow her to do that, though."

"Oh yeah, that's right, almost forgot! She's going to recover fully from her injuries!"

Melvin cheered. "Thank God! I thought we would be stuck with him forever! Glad she's going to be alright!"

"You know," Casto said, "maybe if we put up with Koa for a month, we'll just be rid of him because she'll be back!"

"I don't think I could live with that for a month, though," Serena disagreed. "It doesn't take him long to get into his groove."

"This isn't his groove?"

"No, trust me, you haven't seen anything yet!"

"I gotta go," Melvin smiled, "but thanks for the support! I'll see ya around!" He walked off into the distance, leaving the two siblings to ponder the possible outcomes.

"I see Casto's as rebellious of a prince as ever," they heard a formal female voice say. It was fitting for who it was that came out of the alley right beside them.

"Luna?" Casto gasped. "The hell have you been, girl? We didn't see you at all yesterday or last night!"

"I was trying to find all of you, but you were all over the place. I needed to find Serena and the other girls, but I couldn't, and then Artemis told me that he found out something that I think all of you might want to have a look at."

**-xXXXXx-**

"It's about the Hizrounswa," Artemis said. He sat with Luna in the center of the Shrine table as the girls and Casto listened in. "I was searching about that to find out what exactly we have to fear. It was rather weird that we were told that this thing couldn't fall into the wrong hands, yet we didn't know why it was feared by so many people, so I wanted to do a little digging into what this was."

"But we have nothing else except those two pages of that book," Lita said, "and even then we only know it exists because of what we found in the pyramid."

"Wait, Artemis," Amy interjected, "is that why you asked me if you could borrow my Mercomp?"

"Hold on," Serena said, "Amy, they talked to you last night?"

"After the attack by Meltdown. I was wondering where they were during all of that, too."

"We apologize for that," Luna sobered. "We got so caught up in this research that we forgot. It's not like me or him to abandon you like that, and for that, I take full responsibility."

"We promise, that will never happen again," Artemis added. "But once you see what we found out, you might understand why we got so caught up. The reason why Luna and I needed the Mercomp is because of what we found out about this new crystal."

"First off," Luna continued, "we asked Darien if we could borrow those original pages. The reason is what we suddenly found on one of the pages of our copy." Luna pushed the first page of the book's article of the Hizrounswa towards Casto. "Look at the picture of the gods being slaughtered by the crystal closely. It's hard to notice because it's in a dark spot on the drawing, but you'll see what I mean."

Casto looked at the grayscale photo with a keen eye. Suddenly, his eyes widened slightly. "A bit of a smudge mark. Looks like someone was working on a car while reading this, but why just this one mark?"

"That's what we thought, too, but the other page had something similar. Another smudge of something. It looked out of place from the rest of the two pages, so when he gave them to us, we found out that they weren't from the ink of the pages or anything like that, but some substance that we never saw before. It's not grease, but metal."

"Metal?" Raye asked.

"That's what it felt like at first," Artemis answered, "but when we did a scan of the pages, we found out that the metal was not of this planet."

"Casto," Luna asked, "you came from the States. You recall hearing something about Roswell Incident?"

"Do I ever! Roswell, New Mexico. Some flying saucer was discovered there in 1947, but it was thirty years later that they thought it was some UFO. Everyone knows the story about people thinking it was some water balloon or something like that. But what does that have to do with the Hizrounswa?"

"Well, they were right in it being a flying saucer," Luna continued. "It was actually one of the prototypes of the transportation methods that Serenity wanted to test for the people of the Moon. That one crashed on Earth, but they couldn't find where for the longest time. They aimed the landing at where there wasn't any civilization, so I guess there was no fear of any casualties."

"We only read about the saucer test though the Eternity Main System when we were being briefed about what was going on in the Moon Kingdom during the time of our arrival," Artemis added. "That's how we know there were tests, and then old newspapers and sites led us to find out where it landed."

"Roswell, New Mexico," Casto groaned. "So all those witnesses weren't lying about seeing something peculiar."

"But still," Raye interrupted, "that still doesn't tell us anything about what that has to do with our situation."

"We're getting there," Luna quipped. "After the crash, they hid it in this place known as Area 51, something Casto should've heard something about, as well. They took the derbies from the crash site and delivered them to the Nevada Air Force base, where they sat for a number of years."

Artemis sat up on all four of his paws. "But here's where it gets interesting, and this is why we needed Amy's Mercomp. As you may recall, she got a lot of data from that escape pod that Rubeus used to escape the UFO, because we wanted to see why the smudges were of a space metal. What we found was something staggering. It was no accident that Rubeus was using an UFO. It was the exact same metal that was used in the test flight ship."

"So," Luna finished, "in other words, it's not only like the test ship. The UFO..."

"Was the test ship!" Casto gasped loudly. "That means that someone must've stolen the UFO from under the Air Force's noses at some point."

"Whoever it was upgraded it into where Sailor Moon fought Rubeus. It was that very ship. It was still functional. The escape pod data revealed everything!"

"Unbelievable that Rubeus would suddenly steal the ship like that," Amy said, "even with all sorts of security there. I've heard about Area 51. It's the birthplace of some wild conspiracies."

"Okay, so we know where the UFO came from," Casto continued, "but what about the Hizrounswa? Still trying to connect those two dots."

"Well," Artemis answered, "now that we know about where the ship came from, the origin of the book that the pages came from makes a bit more sense. Some of the Base's scientists were examining the saucer, and we discovered that someone was really into myths and legends about ancient crystals. This scientist was in charge of examining the escape pods and looking to see what they were made of. He seemed to always take something to read with him, and he always fooled around with the computer on this one escape pod that always fascinated him, so he was in there for some time, sometimes taking naps."

"Wait, a luxury escape pod?"

"You remember how Queen Serenity was, Casto," Luna said. "She always wanted to go big with her projects. That shouldn't be of any surprise. Shouldn't be of surprise, either, that the computer has a record of what exactly took place on one particular night this scientist decided to take a break within the pod. He started to read his book when he looked at two particular pages, and then he really began reading them. We know about all of this because every time he went into the pod, he needed to turn on the computer to illuminate the pages and be able to see, so the recording mechanism was on every time he was in there. Here, I'll let you hear it."

Luna nudged the open Mercomp with her nose. Her paw pushed a button, and a male voice, jumbled in static, began talking, "Crystal that the gods feared. Hid it in some place to never be seen. Wish I had something like that. Would get me out of this hellhole. At least this place is comfortable compared to that other thing he wanted me to examine. Gods feared this thing. My boss sure as hell thinks he's a god of some kind to go boss people around like he does...goddamnit. Happened again. This book is going to be ruined with the amount of residue I get on my hands whenever I touch the metal of this thing. Why is it coming off, though? Hold on, anti-magic, could implode magic from within users. Don't know of the whereabouts. Hmm! Wonder if I could become famous by finding this...how did they pronounce it again? HES-ROO-NES-SA?"

"There was no more after that because he began using the computer," Artemis continued as the transmission went dead on the Mercomp. "Remember that the saucer was just a prototype, so there were some major bugs in the systems, and one of them was trying to figure out why the recording system stopped working whenever someone was actually using the computer."

"So whoever this goofball was that wanted to pawn off the Hizrounswa," Casto began with his head coiled back, "was trying to find some info on in from the computers. Why would he think that they had anything?"

"Wait," Serena interjected. "The Eternity Main System had info on this saucer, so it could've had..."

"Yes," Luna answered, "I think the crystal existed within the confines of the Moon Kingdom. Either Queen Serenity or someone within the Silver Millennium knew about it and entered it into the EMS, because every computer in the saucer was equipped with all the knowledge that the EMS data banks had. Thing is, it was so buried that whoever stole it didn't even know that this data existed on the computers, and when they began to add their own data and built on it, the EMS data seemed to be forgotten because so much other data got piled on top of it. It's probably how the Dark Moon Family never saw any of this information, thank God."

"But when I went to download all that stuff," Amy said, "it got some of the data from the EMS?"

"Exactly, and about the Hizrounswa. Thus, your connection. The UFO had the information so buried that I don't think it would be of a shock as to how you missed all this, Amy! It would've taken a long time to just run into this. You would've had to been looking for this to be able to find it. Anyway, Artemis and I looked through the info on the Hizrounswa, and this is why we needed to talk to you all to begin with."

"Yes," Artemis agreed. "It wasn't about how the information was there, but what it was. We now know some more about what it is that Rubeus wants. The crystal is able to fire either a beam or a quake of energy though the air. However, the air quake is only for the first three levels of power."

"First three levels?" Casto asked.

Luna stood up on her four legs. "Yes. The crystal has six different levels of power. Each level is denoted by a side of the six-sided crystal. Whenever the user were to fire the crystal, it would create what felt like a heartburn at first, but then they would feel like something was trying to bust them open from within. Their magic begins to be used against them because it doesn't know how to fight such a dark energy entering their bodies. Both ways of firing don't exactly hit the target, but go into the victim and confuse the magical elements that the person possesses. That's how the crystal attacks."

"So this Hizrounswa _is_bad news!"

"The gods feared it because they couldn't find a way to fight it."

"But it gets worse," Artemis added. "The crystal has six sides, and the implosion of a victim's magic is bad enough on the first few levels, but when the bearer turns the crystal over to the final three, the results can be disastrous. The only drawback to the crystal at this point is that it only hits one target at a time as the air quake is no longer available. Level six is the most sinister one because it's what Darien was telling us about last week. That level is so powerful that all it took was a quick jab of the shot for one god to die and another to completely disintegrate into nothing."

"My lord," Amy gasped softly. "What a way to go!"

"Yeah," Casto said. "Not a fun way to die! But do you think that Rubeus knows how to use the crystal?"

"That's another thing," Luna continued, "and _this_part really scares me to death. All you need to do to learn everything about how to use the crystal to its fullest potential is to have it in your hand. That's it. No experience needed."

Mina's breaths quivered slightly. "So if Rubeus, with his maniacal mind, were to handle it and know what to do with it, then..."

"Darien is right. Rubeus cannot be allowed to possess this crystal. And it's not only living beings that can feel the crystal's wrath, either. It's said to be able to shatter other magical crystals, too. Even the one crystal we're sworn to protect."

"The Silver Crystal," Serena breathed. "Is Rubeus really thinking of..."

"If he is," Casto answered, "then he's out of his mind!"

"Either way," Lita concluded, "this is one hell of an evil crystal. No, actually, forget that. It's a weapon of mass destruction! Who in their right mind would construct something this evil?"

"I don't know," Luna said, "but I hope that Rubeus..."

"Run, now, before he scorches us!" they suddenly heard a screaming male yell out from outside the Shrine.

"What is that thing?" another man asked. "It looks like some walking toad that can breathe fire!"

"I don't know, man! Just run!"

The words were followed by the sounds of fire crackling in the distance.

"Toad that can breathe fire?" Casto asked. "Sounds like one of Rubeus' deals!"

"Sailors, we know what he's after now!" Luna yelled. "We can't let him get it!"

Serena rose to her feet along with the rest of her friends. "Yes, Luna! I'm not letting him destroy anymore lives! Moon Crystal Power! Make up!"

"No maniac should ever get a weapon of mass destruction. Jupiter Star Power! Make up!"

"This world—past, present, and future—will be protected from people and crystals alike. Venus Star Power! Make up!"

"Rubeus, it's payback time for what you nearly took from me in that pod. Mercury Star Power! Make up!"

"You've got some nerve wanting something so demonic, Rubeus! How about we shatter _you_? Mars Star Power! Make up!"

"Oh, Rubeus, you've definitely pissed me off! You'll get that crystal over my cold, dead body! Vulture Medal Power! Suit up!"

Sparkles, ribbons, elements, shadows, and determination engulfed the Sailors as their transformations took effect. After they had finished, they all headed out the door and towards the Youma, but Casto stopped short and turned to Luna and Artemis.

"Call up Darien and Reenie. I think they need to know about this crystal, too. We're going to need them here if this Youma is anything like Meltdown was last night!" Casto hurried off to rejoin his friends after seeing the two felines nod at him.

**-xXXXXx-**

Zoycite had her head leaned back in the chair. She still felt awkward sitting in Beryl's throne for the first time ever, even though she pictured herself being queen somewhere someday.

'_Beryl, why are you so secretive to me? You know you can trust me. I don't hate you anymore, if that's what you..._'

She suddenly saw small purple and white auras fall down about ten feet from the throne. Zoycite stood up as the lights intensified. A figure soon appeared in front of her. The tall male had auburn hair and blue eyes, but had an outfit similar to the one that Zoycite had on.

It seemed that she knew immediately who it was, and gasped loudly. "Nephlite? Is that you?"

The aura dissipated as Nephlite stood right in front of her, with his arms to the sides as his eyes narrowed. "So, Zoycite, we meet again!"

Zoycite turned her back to him swiftly and jumped back to the throne. "I can't believe you're actually alive. I thought I had..."

"Why, Zoycite? You know the Dark Kingdom was full of lies! You were defiant, yet you did exactly what Beryl told of you to do! You took me away from the one person who made me see the truth in the people I was serving! How could you be so..."

"Nephlite," he heard Malachite yell out behind him, "don't, please! A lot has been happening since that day."

"How did you survive, though, Nephlite?" Zoycite asked. "You were badly injured when I...when I..."

"Had your Youmas shoot me with their needles? It's a long story! A very long story!"

"One that I would want to hear," he heard Jedite say, who was walking up to him from his side. "I heard all about that night she killed you, or at least we can now say we all thought she did."

"Nephlite, I wasn't thinking at that point," Zoycite said, trying to hide a few tears. "I was told to eliminate you, and that's what I did. I thought you really were turning your back to all of us, when it was actually _her_that you were turning on."

Nephlite looked around at his comrades for a moment. "Where's Beryl at?"

"She said she had to get out for a little bit. She said she would be back, but I'm not sure when."

"I have to talk to her. It's about the Hizrounswa or whatever it is that Rubeus' seeks."

"How do you know about that?" Malachite asked.

"It's part of that long story that I don't have time to tell right now. We can't let him get his hands on that crystal if we want this world to live."

"He was going out to get the Silver Crystal, right?"

"No, I have a feeling he doesn't even want the Silver Crystal to live."

"What the hell?" Zoycite asked with fear in her voice.

"Listen, I can explain in detail once I get the chance to talk to Queen Beryl. Where is she?"

**-xXXXXx-**

It was a quiet, sunny day on the North Pole, one of the few times that the area experienced such a beautiful day. It was silent until a shiny, purple and black one-man snowmobile began racing across the tundra at about sixty miles an hour. A female was driving in a black snowsuit with purple gloves and zip-up boots that covered her calves tightly. Her hands were on the handlebars of the low racer snowmobile that was made to be sat on like a motorbike. As the determined female narrowed her eyes behind her thick yellow snow goggles, and with her red hair coming out of her purple and white helmet and fluttering in the harsh winds, she turned tight corners and made spectacular jumps that only a professional would be able to do, even jumping a pit that might've killed her had she not landed the jump exactly correct. The blowing of the snow every time she made a turn only pushed her to ride on. Her back leaned forward even more as her right foot slammed down hard on a pedal right near the protective barrier of the vehicle, which made it go even faster.

Her smile was bright, as if it was the first time she had done such an enjoyable activity in years. The mobile was going to eighty and then some as she began to eye a small cabin that she was approaching. Her eyes narrowed even further as she raced towards it, going up a snowy hill and jumping off of it, her feet leaving the rests of the snowmobile a bit during the soaring leap. She landed without even a hint of injury as she smiled at the five feet of air she had just caught. It was thirty seconds later that she finally reached the log cabin, skidding to a full stop with the snowmobile turning sideways as she slammed the brake.

Looking up at the small structure, she took her hand to unbuckle the straps that held her helmet onto her head. Once she took the thick apparatus off and shook her head to release the hair that had clumped up a bit from being restrained, Queen Beryl could only exhale deeply at the sight of her destination before looking back to the handles of the snowmobile.

"Damn, I could do this all day!" she rang out. "And she doesn't even have a clue. Glad my sweet baby survived that day. I didn't forget about you. Just waiting to hear my Arctic Cat purr again. Just like old times, is it?" She stroked the front of the vehicle before patting it softly, removing herself from the black cushion of the seat. "You go ahead and rest. I'll be back. I need to see in here for a few moments. You keep guard and make sure nothing gets past you, alright?" She chuckled slightly as she entered the wooden door, leaving her helmet on the dash of her Arctic Cat.

Once she entered the cabin house, she closed the door and looked around the one room space. Her bed was just as she had left it: on the other side, where she could look out the windows. The fireplace was not too far from the double bed, though just far enough so that nothing would catch fire from the brick log-heater. Even further to the right of the bed were a small love seat and a matching blue couch beside it, with a few cushioned footstools sitting in front of both of them. The floor was carpeted with plush purple, and there was a white oval rug in the center.

Beryl unzipped her boots and gritted her teeth a bit, with some good balance while she was standing up, to get them off her feet and lay them next to the door. The snow on them began to melt immediately on the shine of the polished wood floor that surrounded the door two inches either way before transitioning to the carpet. She walked onto the carpet, taking comfort of each step as the material massaged her feet through her purple wool socks. She reached the couch and sat down in the seat that allowed her to kick her feet up onto the matching footstool. Sighing heavily, she looked up to the ceiling that had one light in the center of it hanging by a thick brass pole.

"This...this was the one place I never told anyone I went to," she told herself. "I could just sit here for hours and not give a damn about anything else if I knew I could." She allowed herself to sink down a bit further into the couch, bending a knee and resting her arms on it. "Metaria, I know who you are and the vice grip you have on me, and I know I'm not serving you by saving these people, but I don't care. The more I serve you, the less I want to. I swear, if you even try to take this cabin, my Arctic Cat, my free life away from me, then I don't know if I could survive. Yeah, they're material things and I know I could probably live without them, but I need some release from it all, and you're telling me that I'm not allowed to have it. Especially after you tell me that you could kill my Generals within seconds. Please don't do this to me, Metaria. You've taken so much from me since I allowed you into my life."

She sighed and looked towards the opposite wall, her other knee bending as well. She leaned her back towards her knees as her hands gripped her toes. "I don't really know how to show it without her knowing it, but those Generals are my friends. I didn't want to kill Zoycite. I didn't want to send Jedite into that Eternal Sleep. I didn't want Nephlite or Malachite to die. Those four were the only people I had left, and even they got corrupted. In a way, it was my fault. I allowed it to happen, and even forced them to do things that they hated to do. If she took any of them from me..." She began to shed a tear. "Okay, that's it. Once I get rid of Rubeus, Metaria, I'm breaking that egg. You're done. Either that or I'm forcing you out of my life. Either way, Zoycite is correct. You don't control me. I'm not some pawn you can..."

She was interrupted by the sight of a picture of her parents handing on the wall beside a small staircase leading downstairs. It was an enlarged version of the same picture she had in her bedroom, and she slowly rose to her feet and walked over to look at it. She straightened out the frame so it was perfectly aligned to the floor. "I loved you so much, mom. How could you ever think I could do this myself and you could just leave me? I need you so much right now. I'm so lost. I don't know what to do anymore. I don't want to serve Metaria anymore, but I don't want my friends to be victims to her sick game. I just want this world to bow to me...no," she shook her head rapidly as her tears began to flow and her hands held up her body against the wall, "I don't know if I even want that anymore. I'm so lost that I don't know what my intentions are. I hate this. I hate not knowing where to go from here. If you were here now, you would let me know what to do with my life. I went beyond what any queen would do with their kingdom because those people _were_my life. Being the queen on what was once a proud nation was something I never want to take away from my life, and now...oh God, look at this. It's a goddamn barren wasteland. All I really need is some direction. Some kind of sign that you're listening to me and you still know my pain. It's tearing me up, and I feel like I can't win. No matter what, I just..."

She stopped crying as her eyes widened. "Wait a minute. This picture was _never_crooked during all the times I came here. I made sure it wasn't." Her head moved a bit to the side to see a few broken pieces of glass, and a small light bulb that had been shattered on a nightstand by her bed. Her sadness turned to fear.

"Who's here?" Beryl growled. She pivoted on her heels and looked around the room with narrow eyes. "No one else knows this place is here other than me! Show yourself and I may let you live!" She still heard no one. "Metaria, if you did this, you will pay! I will not let you take away the little freedom I have left! I won't let you kill my friends! I made that mistake before! Never again!"

She looked under the bed and behind the couch and love seat, still not finding a soul. "I'm not playing around with you! You're not going to scare me! I'm Queen Beryl of the..." Her eyes suddenly caught the stairs leading downward. "The basement! That's where you're hiding, is it?" She ran to the steps and began her decent, as fast as she had the other day when she needed to warn her generals about Hammerthor. She got a fourth of the way to the bottom of the steps when she could see through the white carpeted basement. She saw no one, and was now convinced that no one else was there at that point with her. She took deep breaths as she walked down the rest of the way. She circled around the pipe that was at the base of the steps and began to walk towards the small table in the center of the basement when her eyes caught a little blood on the pipe.

"What the hell?" she whispered to herself as she stared at the drops of blood. "No one's here now, but someone _was_here, and it looks like they weren't alone."

She moved her head around, trying to investigate the blood further. She pivoted to see instead two pieces of paper lying on the table. Questioning herself as to how she had missed them a few moments ago, Beryl walked over to see what they were. The findings made her gasp. On the second page was further reading on the subject that the first page headlined: the Hizrounswa.

"Only one person would want to know anything about that damned crystal," she told herself. She also looked back to the blood on the pipe. "Rubeus, who did you have here?"

She looked back to the pages. She turned over the second page to see nothing there. She knew they were only copies from a book. However, when she turned over the first page, she saw writing, in all capital letters, "IKUKO WILL NEVER SEE HER DAUGHTER AGAIN! PITIFUL EXCUSE TO NOT GROUND HER DAUGHTER TO KEEP SAILOR MOON A SECRET! I WILL HAVE THE HIZROUNSWA!"

She looked once more at the blood. "My God! Rubeus, you monster! That must be her mother's blood, then, is it?"

She turned the page back around and began reading the text out loud to herself. "The Hizrounswa is known as a death crystal, and its existence has spanned several centuries, according to folklore. Its power is unmatched to any other crystal, and it is so powerful that it frightened gods across several lands. It is said that during the early years of civilization, demons forged the crystal from the depths of the great Lake of Fire. No one knows how the demons were able to use the power of the Hizrounswa, but they know that it is the only crystal that could implode the gods' magic from within their bodies. While the power was thought to be controlled in some ways, it had murdered at least two of the gods with a single touch of the aura that resonated from the crystal." She sighed deeply. "So it can kill the Sailors in one hit. Hell, I might not be safe if he gets this thing."

She continued reading. "Not only is the crystal said to be dangerous to humans, but also to other magical crystals. During a fight with a god, the god thought to use a crystal of his own to combat the powers of the Hizrounswa. It was not to be, as the legend states that the Hizrounswa's beam shot through the other crystal's power, causing it to shatter into a million pieces before the god's body disintegrated into the air." She looked up from the pages. "Oh, my God! Rubeus, you're not going to just capture the Silver Crystal, are you?"

She eyed the pages one more time. "While the residence of this pure black evil crystal is unknown, its properties could provide a clue as to its whereabouts. Also providing a clue would be where the gods had fought the demons that wanted to end their lives." She picked up the two pages and stuffed them into one of the Velcro pockets on her snow jacket. "He said something about looking in a pyramid in Egypt, but it wasn't there anymore. Someone else must have it now." She walked back to the pipe. "I'm not stupid, Rubeus. I know what you were trying to do now: hold her mother hostage so you could force them to search for it. If this crystal really can destroy the Silver Crystal...I gotta get back."

She rushed up the stairs, zipped on her boots and headed out the door. "I will not let you use anymore of my Youmas this way, Rubeus. This ends now!" She strapped on her helmet, revved up her Arctic Cat, and zoomed back to her Dark Kingdom.

**-xXXXXx-**

The Sailors rushed down to the bottom of the Shrine steps to see what everyone was running from: a seven foot, three hundred pound green toad that was walking on its hind legs. Every time the toad huffed, smoke came out of his nose like a dragon, and it was breathing out plumes of fire like one, as well.

"Oh, you've _got_to be kidding me!" Vulture shouted. "A toad that breathes fire! I've seen it all now!"

"Say hello to Infertoad, Sailors," they all heard Rubeus call out from behind them. "There are no words for him to say! All that he cares about is fire, fire, and more fire! I love when a Youma chooses to shut up and lets his actions do the talking, don't you?"

"Fire, right?" Mercury asked. "Got just the remedy for that! Shine Aqua Illusion!"

The tidal wave came at Infertoad quickly. Before anyone could react, however, the toad Youma shot out fire from his mouth and evaporated the entire wave. Mercury gasped at the power the monster had, though Infertoad was not finished as he shot another stream of fire headed right at her.

"Mercury, watch out!" Moon yelled as she tackled her friend out of the way, the fire barely missing its target.

Infertoad approached Jupiter and Venus, who were standing beside each other ready to strike.

"Jupiter Thunder Bolt! Crash!"

"Venus Crescent Beam! Smash!"

The linked thunder beam did collide with the underbelly of Infertoad, but it didn't even slow him down as he suddenly reached out and grabbed both Venus and Jupiter by the face and lifted them into the air, paralyzing them by grabbing the back of their necks and squeezing as if he was draining their life. The two Sailors dropped their limbs and could only grimace as they felt their necks begin to crack and their life be sapped away by a green aura.

"Vulture Attack!"

The shadow vulture hit once on the Youma's left hand, then a second time on the right, making him lose his grip on Jupiter and Venus. Infertoad looked to his left to see Sailor Vulture having jumped down from the top of Hikawa Hill, landing on both feet. His attack was clearly done in mid-air, and the male Sailor smirked at his handiwork.

"Okay, you overgrown Godzilla wannabe," Vulture growled. "You want a fight? Come and fight!"

Infertoad began to bum rush Vulture, though the daring Sailor only smirked at the oncoming toad. '_C'mon, you dumb ass. Grab me and see what you get._'

The Youma did just that. Casto felt his feet leave the ground in a similar fashion to the two recovering Sailors. Vulture did nothing to try to escape, only letting his hands and feet fall backwards.

However, right when Infertoad was about to start draining him, Vulture's eyes darted wide open, and his hands suddenly grabbed his adversary's arm. "Vulture Attack!" This time, the shadow vulture attack coursed though the toad's skin, making the monster screech. Vulture was let go, but he had to roll to keep from being injured.

"Sailor Mars," he called out, "do it now!"

"Mars Celestial Fire..."

Infertoad retaliated quickly, slapping Vulture in the back and making him fly into Sailor Mars, both of them landing on their backs on top of each other. They didn't have any time to react before Infertoad began inhaling heavily.

"Well, now you made him mad!" they heard Rubeus say. "Time for him to really mess everyone up! All he has to do is breathe out and he will scorch this entire block, along with anyone around here! Time to die!"

"We can't let him do that!" Mercury yelled.

"But nothing we do is even fazing this thing," Vulture answered. "There's nothing we can do unless we can think of something quick! Where are Darien and Reenie? We could really use them right now!"

"Watch," Rubeus continued. "This will be some hell of a show! Woah, look at how much air he's taking in! It'll all be fire, too! Time for Tokyo to go up in..."

"Infertoad, come back to the Dark Kingdom this instant!" they all heard a raspy female voice call out.

"What the hell?"

"You are not stable enough to carry out that attack! If you fail, you will be wide open for the Sailors to kill you! You must come back for an energy fusion!"

Sailor Moon narrowed her eyes, knowing that voice. "Queen Beryl?"

"Infertoad, do not listen to her," Rubeus ordered. "You answer to me now, and I'm not going to let this town survive any longer! Scorch it!"

"No," Beryl objected. "This is a direct order from your Queen! You do this and you deserve to die at their hands!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Beryl was looking into her crystal ball—back in her purple queen dress—yelling out to Infertoad, who she was watching through the orb by her lonesome in the throne room. "If you come back for a moment and let me give you some energy, there won't be that risk! But you will be on your own forever if you do not comply! You will not be let back into the Dark Kingdom! I will not allow this attempt to fail!" However, she closed her eyes tightly after saying that. '_Please, Infertoad, take the bait. No Youma of mine has ever turned down that energy._'

She did not hear any other words, but Infertoad was looking about, seeming to swallow the air that he took in. He looked around to find the voice of his Queen.

"I am transmitting my voice to you, Infertoad! Come back here now! I am ordering..."

She was suddenly hit in the back by a beam, sending her flying five feet in the air and onto her stomach.

Rubeus walked towards Beryl with maniacal laughter as he towered over her body. "Infertoad, ignore that witch! Remember who promised you unlimited energy for your services! Do not come back here! I'll take care of this liar! You continue on! Scorch Tokyo!" He then punched the crystal ball, making it lose its image before turning to the fallen Queen. The Crystal Ball Staff fell to the ground. Beryl could only hear the horrific sounds of a smash follow. She knew what he had done, and it only took her looking over towards the sound to see it: her orb had shattered, and evaporated into the air. "Now, Beryl, you don't have that anymore! You will no longer interfere with my plans!"

"Rubeus, you know that's the ultimate treason in any kingdom, right? You just attacked your own queen and destroyed her property!"

"Like I give a shit, Queen Bitch! In case you forgot, you already performed multiple acts of treason!" He shot her again in the back. Beryl screamed out in pain as she tried to get back to her feet. "Besides, since when have _you_ been _my_Queen, huh? Answer me that!"

"The second you stepped foot in my kingdom!"

"No, you're not the same Queen Beryl I read about! The _real_ Queen Beryl would never care about the humans! The _real_ Queen Beryl would never save a pitiful teacher! The _real_ Queen Beryl would never think twice about harming a child! This pitiful wretch struggling to get up is not the same Queen Beryl! I shall prove that right now! Queen Beryl, _DIE_!"

He was about to fire with a double shot beam when a wave of pure gravity hit him from behind. He tried to fight the force, but he was suddenly hit by a tidal wave of the power and was shot away from Beryl. He immediately turned around to see Nephlite with his arms outstretched.

"No, Rubeus," Nephlite answered, "you are correct! That was not the real Queen Beryl!"

Beryl rolled onto her back as best she could to see her General standing there, hands ready to strike Rubeus again. '_Nephlite? You're alive, and you're...saving me?_'

"The real Queen Beryl would always have a plan! She would never just kill in cold blood! She would never wish for this world to be destroyed! And she would never be even close to as evil as you are!"

"This entire kingdom is full of traitorous fools! All the stories I've read about the Dark Kingdom! They were lies! All of it was lies!"

"No, Rubeus!" Beryl answered. "They are true! Everything you've read about us was true! But it's not like we're proud of what we did! You really think I never regretted leveling the Moon Kingdom?"

The admission shocked Nephlite as he gasped loudly, and it made Rubeus sneer. "Now that's a lie and you know it! All of you wanted to see that pitiful structure die along with Queen Serenity! She told me. She told me herself!"

"You choose the wrong allies, Rubeus!" screamed Zoycite, appearing alongside Nephlite. "She isn't without any regrets, and I'm not without mine! Just because we went the wrong path doesn't mean we're like you!"

"B-But Zoycite, you tried to kill Nephlite! He never survived because of you! You killed him in cold blood yourself! How can you lie?"

"Because I regretted it! I never told anyone until now, but that night, I cried myself to sleep! I was so disgusted with myself! You think we lie, when you really don't know us that well! Whatever you read was the truth! It just didn't have all the details!"

'_Zoy,_' Beryl thought as she shed a few tears, '_you never told me you cried that night. Hopefully that was your only regret. I'd never wish the same amount I have on anyone._'

"Well, this will be a pretty sight. Three sympathetic losers to die! Nephlite, Zoycite, Beryl, let me make sure you're dead this time!"

He was about to fire again when he was stopped—again—by a pair of pink boomerangs hitting his wrists, making them bleed slightly. Malachite stood over Beryl, retrieving one boomerang while Jedite took the other.

"We have only one loyalty, Rubeus, and it's not with you!" Malachite yelled. "It's with Beryl and only Beryl! If your so-called partner wants to try to take us out, then tell her that she will have a fight on her hands!"

"Yeah, Rubeus!" Jedite added. "Tell Metaria that I would love to catch up on some much needed shut-eye! I would love to see her try to get me again!"

Rubeus was bewildered by the sight of all four generals coming side by side around Beryl and blocking Rubeus from doing any more damage to the Queen.

"If you want to kill her, Rubeus," Zoycite began, "you will have to get past us! You will have to get past me, especially! I need her in my life! She's not only my Queen, but my best friend. I love her, and you will not take her away from me!"

'_Zoy, you...my God, I never thought I'd hear that from anyone again._'

"Ha, none of you know anything about love!"

"More than you will ever know," Zoycite continued. "Go away back to your partner, like you always do. We all know who it is!"

"Yeah, right, it's just another..."

_"No, Rubeus, don't fight them right now,"_ he heard Metaria say within his own mind. _"I know what's going on! They are too united! Go ahead and prove them right for now. I need to talk to you anyway! I trust you, Rubeus! Please let me know that you can trust me!"_

Rubeus looked around with narrow eyes before he let his arms fall. "You freaks aren't worth it!" He disappeared afterwards.

"Beryl," Zoycite yelled as she turned around and knelt to her. "You going to be alright?"

"Yeah," Beryl answered, "I think so."

"C'mon, guys, give her some room!"

The four all helped Beryl get back to her feet and over to her throne. She turned and collapsed into her chair, taking deep breaths as a way to brace her pain.

"Thank you, all of you," she said, "but what about Infertoad?"

"I have a feeling that the Sailors will be able to handle him," Nephlite answered. "Without any direction, he won't know what to do. He's somewhat of a buffoon, anyway."

"Rubeus," Beryl growled, "you better not cross me again!"

**-xXXXXx-**

After they heard Beryl's agony and Rubeus' order to Infertoad, the Sailors were left only with the Youma looking lost. He moved his head back and forth, left and right to find any direction.

"I think Beryl did us a favor!" Vulture proclaimed. "He doesn't know who to be loyal to, and it stopped his attacks!"

"Then let's finish this," Mars roared. "Mars Celestial Fire! Surround!"

The rings hit dead on with Infertoad's mouth, filling it with nothing but fire. The Youma whipped his head back and began to try to breathe it out of him, but his entire body was starting to combust with fire, and his arms burst into flames.

"Oh no, not again! A Youma overload!" Vulture yelled. "Why are all of these Youmas being overloaded with energy when we hit their weakness?"

"Because they are getting a high once you do it," yelled out a voice that the Sailors had been waiting to hear.

"Tuxedo Mask!" the Sailors cheered.

"Kamen," Vulture added. "About damn time!"

Ignoring the quasi-insult, Mask stared at Infertoad. "They were injected with more dark energy than they can handle, to the point where when we hit their weak points, instead of dying outright, they become unstable."

"He's going to burn everything to the ground if we don't stop him!"

Mask raced towards the combusted Infertoad and threw a bunch of red roses that surrounded him. They shot up a stream of petals that trapped him in the circle, but it didn't stop his fireballs, which blew up a car that was in its path.

"No way!" Mask said. "I can't stop its fire! It's going to fire right at..."

"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!"

Mini Moon, with a determined look on her face, was straining to keep her concentrated attack on the fireball that was coming right at Vulture and Mask. She was successful to a point, but Infertoad was ready to shoot out a stream of fire right at the three.

It was an act that Sailor Moon saw as she panicked. "Reenie, look out!"

"I can't move, or else this fireball will burn us all!"

Moon quickly got out her Moon Scepter and began to run towards the monster. She narrowed her eyes as she began to chant, "Moon Scepter!" She finally jumped up and near Infertoad's burning face, and she struck his neck as she finished, "Elimination!" The glitter and moons didn't have to travel at all as they hit him right on the throat. Moon finished her jump by rolling and turning towards the Youma on one knee, her breaths heavy as she watched the monster's soul be plunged out and burned into the air along with the body of the monster just like the recent Youmas before him.

The defeat of Infertoad also dissipated all of the fireballs, which included the ones that Mini Moon was trying to ward off. Mini collapsed to both knees. She was also panting as Moon quickly got to her feet and raced towards her. "Reenie, you all right?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine, Sailor Moon," she answered, rising back up. "Fighting that fire took a lot out of me."

"It wasn't that tough to beat once Rubeus stopped harking orders at it," Mercury said.

"By the way, Sailor Vulture," Mask interjected, "the police were contacted! Thirty minutes ago!"

Vulture looked around to see that there were indeed no police cars to be seen. "They know where this was going on, right?"

"Yes, and they claimed that they would call the fire department, as well!"

"Thirty minutes and they still didn't show. Does that mean we get three bucks off our rescue?"

"This is serious, though, bro," Moon said, "I didn't agree with my mother at first about this lack of response, but I'm starting to worry now."

"Yeah, sis, I hear you! This is getting ridiculous! I don't think we should be expecting any help from here on until someone can figure out why this is going on."

"I got another question, though," Jupiter said. "What happened with Rubeus and Beryl just now? I noticed a sense of urgency in her voice."

"I heard it too," Venus agreed. "She was trying to get Infertoad back to the Dark Kingdom, but it definitely wasn't for the reason she was giving him."

"And then the voices just stopped." Moon added. "Something seems really off about that relationship."

**-xXXXXx-**

"I told you it was a long story, but this woman who called herself Sailor Pluto was telling me about this entire deal about how Rubeus' real goal is to..."

"...shatter the Silver Crystal?"

"Of course, Queen Beryl! But how did you know?"

Beryl pulled out two sheets of paper that she handed to Nephlite. He took the pages as Beryl continued, "I found those two things earlier today in that shut down room. He must've dropped them and I didn't see it." '_And I'm not going to tell you the truth about that cabin, either. Not yet, anyway._'

"It's saying everything I was told about this thing. But it was worse than this story is saying. I was shown a barren wasteland, and I was told that if the Silver Crystal was to shatter, then that world will become a reality."

"Barren wasteland?"

"Trees dead, water scarce! You name it, it was in that premonition."

Beryl sighed heavily. "Then I'm glad she was able to get you to survive that night. I didn't know of that part."

"It was one of the scariest sights I've ever seen before, and I don't ever want to see it again."

"Hopefully we won't ever have to." She stood up from her throne and walked over to her revived General. "Please tell me you and Zoy are good now."

"Of course. She was telling me everything that happened since your resurrection. I have to say, I wasn't expecting any of the stories I heard."

"I think we all weren't expecting any of this. I need to ask you for a favor." Nephlite nodded as she asked, "When you see Zoy, tell her to come to my bedroom. I have something I want to talk to her about, and the only place I can talk to her about this is in that room."

"Is it about what she said tonight?"

"In a way, yes."

"I'll let her know you want her when I see her again."

"Thanks, Nephlite. Let me know if you see anything out of the ordinary with Rubeus tonight. I'm going to go lay down. I need to rest. Good night." She turned around and walked to the door of her room, shutting it behind her.

**-xXXXXx-**

A few hours after Beryl had turned away for the night, she was sound asleep, her blanket keeping her warm. She had half of a smile on her face and was turned towards the wall on her side.

Someone was knocking at the door, but Beryl didn't hear anything. The person knocked one more time before they slowly opened the unlocked door. Zoycite peeked into the room to see the Queen sleeping peacefully.

"Queen Beryl?" Zoycite whispered. "Nephlite told me you wanted to talk about something." She got no answer, and she saw that Beryl was asleep. "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to come in here in the middle of the night. I'll go now. I'll come back in the morning."

She began to walk out of the door when she heard, "Zoy, is that you?"

"Yes, Queen Beryl. It's me."

"C'mon in."

Zoycite walked back into the room, seeing her queen sitting up in the bed, somewhat groggily. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes. Please, close the door behind you." Zoycite shut and locked the door as she walked over and sat next to her friend on the bed.

"What's going on?"

"First off, about what you said when I was being attacked..."

"I'm sorry. It's just how..."

Beryl put a hand on Zoycite's shoulder. "I love you, too."

Zoycite's eyes widened. "I've never heard you use that word towards anyone before."

"Never had a reason to. But you've been such a great friend to me lately, especially when I don't deserve it."

"You do, though. It's really nice to actually see this side of you. I always knew that you were more than just a queen of a hellhole, as you called it."

"To tell you the truth, Zoy, I don't think I deserve to be queen anymore."

"Why? Beryl, you can tell me."

Beryl sighed her heaviest. "Remember when I told you about a mass murder of several children, and I told you that I really didn't want to talk about it?"

"Yes, of course."

"I'm ready to talk about it."

* * *

Please leave your reviews of what you think.

Good night and good luck.


	5. Ascension

WAR GAMES  
CHAPTER 5  
Ascension

Written by Darkpower  
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)

* * *

"In just a few days, Sammy. The big day is just a few days away."

"Then I need to make sure I'm prepared to try when it happens."

Reenie had been talking to Sammy in his room for a good hour now. They had been discussing various things, from the Sailor business to Reenie's future life. Even the discovery that she had an uncle named Casto who was also a male Sailor came into the conversation. But then came the news that Sammy would've rather not heard: Reenie's first day of school would be only in two days and counting.

"You won't lose me, Sammy. It's just for a few hours out of the day."

"I know, Reenie, but that would mean the only person who would be able to help me would be..."

Reenie hung her head. She knew of this all too well by now. She noticed Sammy was trying to make it work. So much so that Serena no longer scolded him for holding the grudge on their mother. However, it was very tough for him to be able to trust her again after Rubeus' attacks.

"She wants to help you, and she's trying her best to help you move on."

"I know, but it's not easy. You never got to see what condition I was in. That horror I felt when he came into the room. I wanted to do something, but I froze, and I screamed for anyone to help me. You ever felt that? Like the world is ignoring you, and you know they can hear you, but they don't listen?"

"Can't really say I have just yet, though anymore I haven't felt the need to. Especially after learning the jujitsu and judo. I don't need to worry as much about needing help, and if I do, I know where to get it and how to make someone move to help out."

"Wait! Judo? You didn't say anything about judo."

"Oh, yeah. Judo was originally derived from jujitsu, so it sometimes gets grouped together like that."

"Which do you like better?"

"Depends on the situation. Jujitsu is more about striking moves than judo is, though it's sort of the same type, but I tend to like striking someone more than grappling them."

"I don't think I could ever have the nerve to learn anything like that."

"It's not about the strength, but the will to do it. It's all about staying calm under pressure and not panicking. If you have those things, you'll be fine. If not, then after you spend some time in classes, you'll learn those things quickly," she explained.

"Maybe when I get my strength back in my leg I'll try something like that."

"I'll help you out if you want."

"Nah."

"What? Afraid of being beaten by a girl?"

"No. It's not that," he said. "It's just that I don't think I could face you. You've been such a great friend, I couldn't be able to do that, even if it was just practice."

"We'll see when that leg heals up. Heard you were walking on it a bit more."

"Yeah, don't even need the crutches now. Still limping a bit, but I can deal with that as long as I don't fall down the steps."

Reenie was beginning to say something when she was interrupted by a loud yawn. "Man, and I thought I could talk to you all night. Couldn't stop the sandman, could I? Guess I better..."

"Reenie," Sammy interrupted, "can you...stay here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know it'll sound kind of awkward, but...I feel safer when you're here with me. Having my blood here, especially you, is comforting to me."

"I'm not going back to the future anytime..."

"No, I mean tonight. You can sleep in here."

Reenie's eyes widened. "You think anyone will mind?"

"Of course not. You're my family. Though it's not going to be comfortable on the floor without a sleeping bag or anything like that."

"I think I can manage. Well, as long as I have a pillow or something. But yeah, I can stay here with you for the night if you want. Help keep the bad men away from you."

"Thanks, Reenie."

Reenie smiled sweetly. "No problem at all."

**-xXXXXx-**

"Rubeus," Metaria began as Rubeus faced her once more, "you have done extremely well in proving yourself."

"How do you think that? The Sailors have beaten all of the Youmas you've let me used, Queen Beryl is just not giving up the rest of her freedoms, and more and more of the other Dark Kingdom freaks are siding with her instead of you! Please tell me where you think I'm doing well!"

"I'm not looking for you to exactly kill the Sailors just yet, or to even do anything to the world to prove yourself. I want to see how you can handle yourself. You've been able to control the Youmas in ways I never thought anyone could. The dark energy you inject them with are giving them more power than one could ever imagine. You have learned so much in so little time. You've also impressed me with how you seem to plan out your attacks. You don't just go out and attack anyone, but you plant seeds which have a long lasting effect on those involved, even if they succeed the short term attack. Your Dark Moon Family knew what they were doing."

"Actually, they didn't! I was the only one who really knew what to do. They just thought they did. I was ready to ditch them in a second. You should've seen the bitch that left me to die in that UFO."

"I don't see how you didn't blast her right then and there. In any event, you know what you're doing with the Youmas, and I think you're just about ready for me to tell you where the Hizrounswa is. However, I need to see if you are able to do one more thing. If you can, then the crystal will be yours."

"Just name it, Metaria. I'm ready for anything."

"I have one Youma of mine that is extremely difficult to control. His name is Jackal. You'll know him when you see him, trust me."

"I think I already have. That striped mutt that just swipes at anything that moves?"

"Exactly. I need to see if you can control him for five minutes. That is all."

Rubeus narrowed his eyes slightly. "Wait. You don't even want me to kill anyone?"

"It will not be required. The only test is to see if you can handle them. Once the five minutes are over, I will let you know, and you will be free to return here if you would like. He's weak, as well, so he must also survive the five minutes."

"Should just put him out of his misery, but I get what you're saying. If I can control him and get him to do well, then I can handle that Hizrounswa no problem."

"Exactly, Rubeus. I will not tell anyone that you have went out. You will not have anyone spying on you. I made sure of that, and I am aware that you broke her crystal ball last night. There's nothing she can do in order to stop you, or to even know of the situation."

Rubeus grew a wide grin. "Even if she did try, I would be able to stop her at this rate. But what about the others that side with her? You know that Zoycite, Nephlite, Jedite, and Malachite are watching her back now."

"I'm not even remotely worried about those weaklings. But if it makes you feel any better, I will keep an eye on them for you just in case they try anything. Remember, Rubeus, you don't even have to kill them this time. Just have him last five minutes."

Rubeus bowed to Metaria and disappeared.

**-xXXXXx-**

Zoycite finally heard the one thing that she really wanted to hear from her Queen. No, her friend.

"I'm ready to talk about it."

It was a quote that made her smile for a moment. "You sure you're ready? You don't have to if you don't want to."

"No," Beryl answered. "I'm sure. I think it's time that I tell someone. I've been living with this moment for years, and many think that I just let it go when I never did. It was before you got here."

Zoycite had been told earlier about what this would be about: some mass murder of children. "I want to know how anyone could be so sadistic to even think of such a thing."

Beryl sighed heavily before answering, "Actually, it's not surprising at all when you think about who it was, but it's a long story."

"One I have all the time in the world to hear."

Beryl folded her legs underneath each other. "It was about twelve years ago—or maybe it was thirteen, I can't remember the exact date."

**-x~~~~x-**

"_**At the time, this kingdom was not known as the Dark Kingdom, but rather the North Pole Kingdom!"**_

A patient Queen Beryl stood overlooking her master bedroom balcony, looking up at the Moon. Her purple tiara sparkled in the moonlight. Taking a small breath, she turned around to walk over to her dresser as her purple wool nightgown tailed on the floor behind her. On the marble, six-drawer dresser were some cosmetics, some jewels, an encased piece of beryl rock, and, in the center in front of the oval mirror, was a picture of her family. The fifteen year old queen picked up the picture, depicting of her in between her mother and father, standing outside the castle. She stroked the picture with her hand softly, smiling and sighing.

"My Queen," someone called out from beyond her door.

"Yes, come in," Beryl said as she put down the frame and turned around towards the smooth, bright purple, marble walls.

The man came into the large master bedroom and looked at the magnificent oak, queen-sized canopy bed before speaking. "My Queen, you never sleep up here. Why did you pick tonight?"

"Big day tomorrow, sir."

"Of course," the smooth-voiced male said, "you are going to go to the Pole Elementary School to talk to the kids about safety awareness."

"Yes. It's important to know what to do in an emergency, as well as what you shouldn't do. The world's a dangerous place anymore. You have to be careful who you talk to. Don't want any of them doing the wrong thing."

The male sighed. "You know, I was reading up on how the Moon Kingdom does stuff like this. They have some advisor from Serenity's court go and talk to them. I've never seen Serenity ever going outside the castle walls."

"You're saying I shouldn't?"

"Not at all, ma'am. In fact, this is why the kingdom loves you so much. You're just like Queen Kishmel was. She loved to be more hands-on, just like you are."

Beryl smiled at the mention of the former Venus Kingdom Queen. "Ah, yes, that's who I take after. She was such a sweetheart. I couldn't stop crying for five hours after I heard she was dead. She always cared for her people so much, and when she heard someone needed her, she was right there."

"I'm sorry if I brought back some painful memories."

"No no no, don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm glad to have her in my heart. I've made sure no one forgets her legacy."

The male sat down on the canopy bed, a move that didn't anger the Queen in the slightest. "The kids are going to love seeing you, though. They love you more than their parents do, if that's possible."

"They're the future of this kingdom. That and I love being around them. I wouldn't accept this invitation as hastily as I did if it wasn't for those children."

"You should've seen their faces the day they were told that the great Queen Melissa Beryl would make her appearance at their school. My lady, you couldn't buy that kind of idolizing."

"Don't see what's so great about me, though. I'm just an average ruler."

The white-robed advisor rose to his feet and walked over to his Queen, putting a hand on her shoulder. "No, you are an excellent queen, Melissa. No queen I know of since Kishmel has ever loved her kingdom like you do, and you never let it get to your head."

"Anything I can do for them, I will. I don't want to be some lazy queen who just sits on the sidelines while everyone else does the work for her. I want to be out there, letting people know that someone is there watching out for them when they need it."

"Just don't overdo it. You've really been overexerting yourself, and I don't know if you will ever marry or even fall in love. It worries me to wonder what this kingdom will be like if something were to ever happen to you."

"Being a queen is hard work, I know," Beryl laughed. "Don't I always hear that? Listen, I'll be alright. I wouldn't go out there if I didn't know that I had the best people looking out for this palace. I trust all of you; my only true love I have, besides my parents—may they rest in peace—is for my people. If I couldn't go out there, I don't know what I would do with myself. Now, sir, please go get some sleep. Your eyes are getting red."

"Okay." The man smiled. "Thanks for the talk."

"Not a problem, sir." Beryl smiled and kissed her advisor on the forehead lightly. "Thanks for caring, too. Get some sleep." The advisor nodded and made his way out of the room. She turned back towards the mirror. "No, I'm not overexerting myself, am I? Nope, not a chance. I love those kids. Every time I visit there, it's like the time flies by. Don't worry, sir. I'm always careful." She walked to her bed and turned out all of her lights before covering up in the blankets and falling asleep.

**-xXXXXx-**

"_**I did love the children. They had a very interesting way of greeting me."**_

The Pole Elementary School was a three story building in the middle of the city, though there was some space between it and the rest of the buildings that surrounded it. It was made of white bricks, with many windows. The entrance to the school was in the form of double doors with a few steps leading up to them. Even though it looked new, it had actually been there for years.

The school day was beginning, and it was a gorgeous day by the standards of the North Pole. As all the kids gathered inside, waiting for the bell to ring to rush into their classrooms, Queen Beryl came in through the back door of the beige-floored hallway of white and purple walls.

"Queen B's here!" one of the first grade kids yelled out.

A girl responded, "Yea, B is here." The second grader, who had long, blond hair, ran over to her idol, Beryl. The latter smiled as she knelt down to hug the rushing child.

"Hey, Samantha," Beryl cheered, seeing the other kids rush to greet her with Samantha. Beryl could only smile as she tried to address the hundreds of kids that came up to her.

"You're so cool, B!" another boy sounded.

"How many bad men did you beat up today, B?" a third grade kid asked.

"Well, you're not any bad men, are you?" the Queen asked.

"No!" she got in unified response.

"You sure? You're not any little green men in disguise with antenna sticking out of your heads, are you?"

"No!"

"No one with three eyes or four arms or anything like that?"

"No!"

"Well, then! No bad men here today! Unless you count my alien saucer that's in the parking lot out here!"

"What?"

Beryl stuck out her tongue at the kids and laughed. "Just kidding! Of course there are no bad men here."

"Hey B," Samantha said, "when I grow up, I want to be exactly like you! I wanna be a queen!"

"You do?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, the first thing that a queen must learn is to love everyone! Don't let anyone tell you that you can't be who you dream to be! And you know what, Samantha?"

"Yeah, B?"

"I think that someday...no, I know that when you grow up, you'll be a fabulous, gentle queen that everyone will adore!"

"Just like you?"

"Well, I don't know. It depends on if you keep up building that brain and keep fit. Anyone can be who they want to be if you just keep your nose to it and push to be who you one day dream to be. If you keep working hard, you won't be as good as me, but better than me." The bell rang to begin class. "Time to show me how good of queens and kings you all are." The children followed her advice well by rushing into their classrooms.

"Never get a break, do you, Melissa?" she heard a soft female voice behind her. She turned around to see a woman whose small frame was enhanced by heeled pumps. Her short blonde hair fluttered slightly as she walked over to the Queen.

"Well, if you would call this work, Victoria," she answered.

Victoria giggled as she brought her hand to her heart. Her white blouse fell against her skin as she did so. "Me neither. They are such good kids, and they are even better when their idol shows up. When is the auditorium speech today?"

"I think around ten, maybe about a few minutes after, depending on when the kids all arrive."

"They cannot wait to see you. You're only fifteen, yet you act like you're thirty. So proud of how far you've come in such a short time. I must get going. No king or queen went without a teacher. I'll see you later today, Melissa." Victoria's blue skirt flapped slightly as she walked towards her classroom and out of the hallway.

_**"I was home schooled. It was a family tradition. My mother was home schooled, and several of my ancestors were. That was why I sounded like I did back then. Victoria Hiachi was one of the best teachers in the school. They loved her so much, and she not once had to discipline a kid. She is probably the only teacher to ever be able to claim such a thing. Later on, the auditorium filled up with all of the kids, and Victoria and I were to perform an act to teach the children something about safety and how much it mattered."**_

**-xXXXXx-**

The auditorium was large, with several seats that were already filled, even up in the balcony which had half the seats that the ground level did. Once everyone was comfortable, the red curtain opened, and Victoria came onto the stage.

"Lately there have been many people," Victoria began, "who have been asking us to say something about safety. But we didn't really know how to tell anyone this. It seems to be rather obvious to not talk to strangers, to always know who to go to if you need any kind of help, or if you feel scared. You've shown all of us how smart you are, but just as a reminder, we would love to show you just what you should do if you run into someone who isn't very nice."

The kids suddenly saw Beryl walking onto the stage nonchalantly. They all smiled as Victoria continued, "Of course, you would be walking home from school, when some weird person comes to try to get at you." Suddenly, someone in a green alien suit—with antennas on his head—began chasing Melissa as she stopped on a dime and began to run. "Now, what would you do in that situation? You could get a teacher or a parent and let them know that a stranger won't leave you alone. Either that, or if you can find a policeman, you should also go to them. They will help you."

The kids all laughed as they saw Beryl being chased by the green man, and Beryl had a hard time keeping from laughing herself. She needed to stop running to hide her mouth. The fake green monster disappeared off to the side of the stage as Beryl finally was able to regain her composure and look back to see that a man in blue jeans and matching t-shirt had come on stage.

Even though Beryl's laughter subsided and she had an expression of confusion, no one noticed as Victoria continued, "Now, of course, there are other ways to make sure you will be safe. You should always walk with friends, and never walk home alone, isn't that right, Melissa?"

She got no answer, which she knew she should've received at that point. Looking back, she saw Beryl's worry. "Melissa, what's wrong?"

Beryl leaned towards Victoria and whispered, "He's not a part of this, is he? I don't recognize him at all."

Victoria looked towards the man, who made echoes with every step he took. Suddenly, the man, in a baritone voice, yelled, "Praise Keishi!"

_**"Keishi was the name of some whacked out religious nut who was busted on many counts of murder and manslaughter several times. He was always somehow acquitted. He had this group called the Keishites who were probably instrumental in getting him out of trouble, since they followed him to the end. I never could understand how he was able to get all the followers he did. We never saw them for years after he died of a heart attack. So this person coming into the school was a surprise, especially with the added security due to my visit."**_

"P-Praise," Victoria stuttered.

Beryl didn't answer, but looked at the man's right hand. In it was a small device with a red button and an antenna. "Oh, my God!"

"He will be avenged! I will make the children into the sacrifices!"

"Melissa?" Victoria panicked.

The horrified Beryl whispered, though with gritted teeth, "Get the kids out of here, _now_!"

Victoria turned to the crowd. "Alright, kids, let's head outside! We have something more to show you about safety out there. Let's go, single file."

The kids began to file out, though a large number of them were panicking slightly. Beryl turned to the man, who continued to chant, "We are the Keishites, and he shall be forever in our hearts."

"Have you lost your mind?" Beryl cried. "These are kids. Keep them out of this!"

"They shall be sacrifices for our lord. Their deaths will not be in vain."

Beryl narrowed her eyes and charged him suddenly. She knocked him off his feet, and his small mechanism slid across the stage. She raced to get the machine, but he retaliated by grabbing her ankle and tripping her up. She felt him climb over her and grab the device. She grabbed his calf and tried to drag him back to where she could steal it, but he used his other foot to kick her in the chest, with the steel-toed boots making matters worse.

He jumped off of the stage and tried to get out of the auditorium through the back, but Beryl formed a purple ice crystal and tossed it at him. It hit him in the head, making him fall unconscious. She raced over and was ready to grab the device when she was punched in the face by another male, who was this time in what looked to be the gray security armors that Beryl had commissioned. The man removed his hooded knight helmet to reveal long black hair and a goatee.

"Praise Keishi!" the male said as he grabbed the device and ran off out of the auditorium. Beryl got back to her feet, giving chase to the man. She soon realized how tough it would be as she saw the kids she thought were being evacuated instead panicking by the front door.

"The bad men are here, B!" she heard a kid yell. Beryl looked outside to see a swarm of guys surrounding any way out of the area. They were trapped.

"He went that way, Melissa!" Victoria screamed. "But I don't think he's the only one in this building! They said something about a bomb in the school!"

Beryl's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "No! That device! Please, for the love of God!" She raced though the hallway as best she could, firing through to the stairwell, where she saw the man traverse. She ran up the steps as fast as she could, the man seeing her and racing to the top floor. She found him heading into a classroom, into which she followed him before he could shut the door. He stood beside a window, smiling as he continued to taunt Beryl with the device.

"Don't do this, sir! What in God's name are you thinking?"

"His death will not go unanswered! He gave everything to us! Now, because our past has been taken from us, we shall sacrifice your future!"

"You sick monsters! These are children! Innocent children! They did nothing to you! They can't defend themselves!"

"You cannot stop us! We would be so happy to die ourselves for the cause!"

"Put the device down! You have no quarrel with these kids! Take me! I'll be your sacrifice! I'll let you torture me to my death if you just let the children go!"

"It is too late to offer yourself to Keishi! You will die along with the rest of the sacrifices!"

Beryl could not take it anymore as tears flooded her eyes. She slammed the ground with her fist, and a steady stream of purple energy shot through to ground and hit the man's feet, making him fall and drop the device. She was finally able to roll over and grab it. However, he countered by grabbing one of the large desks and throwing it right at her chest. It connected perfectly, and the throw was so strong that it knocked her through the window and clear out about ten feet from the building. She was thankful for the snow cushioning her fall, but she realized that she was now without the device that she was fighting to get out of the terrorists' hands. As she looked over to the broken window, she saw the man holding the device.

The man's hand trembled as he put his thumb to the device. "_Praise Keishi_!"

Queen Beryl was out of the radius of the blast, though when she rose to her feet, she saw that it was not just one bomb, but a series of them exploding inside the building. Within seconds, the entire structure crumbled and was in flames.

"No! Oh, my God, you monsters!" she cried as she fell to her knees. "You sick...no one could've possibly...Victoria, please tell me you got them out of there in time!"

Her teary eyes caught Victoria lying in the snow, her shoes having been blown off by the blast. She was not moving, and it was her unconsciousness that made Beryl even more panicked as she raced over towards her.

"Victoria, wake up, please!" she cried. "Those kids! Please tell me they're alright! Tell me something! Say something, dammit!" She checked for a pulse, but found none, and her cold skin told Beryl of her unfortunate fate. There were no other sounds other than the crackling of flames and crumbling bricks.

_**"No one made it out alive, not even the terrorists who committed that heinous deed that day! I swore on my life that as long as I remained the Queen of the North Pole Kingdom, such a terrible act would never happen again!"**_

**-x~~~~x-**

"My God," Zoycite gasped, her tears flowing like a geyser.

"The only good thing that came out of it is that those monsters were never seen or heard from again. As I said, they all died in that explosion. Everyone did. In fact, I was the only survivor, though I was honest. I would've given myself up if it meant them letting the kids go. But those cowards never did. They wanted those children dead."

"You were only fifteen and you were willing to sacrifice yourself in order to save those kids, when you had your whole life ahead of you?"

"It was all I could think of, and I would let them kill me."

"But wait, you were only fifteen and you were Queen?"

"That's my other nightmare that never goes away. My parents died when I was ten. It was a shuttle craft crash that killed them. I was so devastated the day I found out that I hid from everyone for two whole years." Beryl pointed to the picture of her and her parents that she had on her dresser. "That picture means the world to me. The day this was taken was significant, because it was taken the day before the crash. They were going to some meeting. They never told me what it was. The other person involved in the crash died, as well."

"Good lord! How could anyone possibly be able to endure all of that?"

"I swear to God, Zoy, my family must have been so cursed for so long. Every single Beryl member has been involved in tragedy in some way. From disease to being caught in this web of lies with Metaria, they've always been cursed somehow. I had it extremely bad. I took Metaria's offer to restructure my Kingdom, not knowing what she was going to do with it. She took my North Pole Kingdom and within a year or so transformed it into what you see now. She saw how hurt I was from all the shit that I've endured, and she convinced me that I should retaliate at the people who caused me harm."

"After hearing all that, I don't think anyone could blame you for taking that offer."

"But now, Zoy, I don't know anymore. I don't know what to do, or how to do it. I don't want to be queen of the Dark Kingdom anymore, but I don't want any of you to think I would just leave you here to fend for yourselves."

Zoycite laid a hand on Beryl's shoulder. "Beryl, it's something that you have to think about right now. Metaria is just some woman who thinks she has you hooked on her line. You sound like you miss those days. Every word you spoke to me tonight had sincere meaning behind it."

Beryl began to shed tears and sob. "I'm so lost, Zoy. I can't think. I'm so confused, and I'm so afraid to show anyone this side of me. I keep it hidden because I don't know what anyone will think of me. I'm supposed to be this evil woman, and yet, I come in here and act like..."

Zoycite felt Beryl's head collapse against her chest. She wrapped her arms around her Queen tightly. "It's okay to cry. You've done too much hiding. You don't have to be scared to show any of this."

"I am, though, Zoy! If it was my choice, I would never want to serve her again!"

"It _is_ your choice, Melissa!" Beryl's eyes widened when she heard her first name as Zoycite continued, "I don't think you will be abandoning us if you go ahead. No one will blame you anymore." She then held Beryl to look into her eyes. "Listen to me! You were once the proud Queen Melissa Beryl of the North Pole Kingdom. You loved those kids like nothing else. You wanted everyone to prosper, and you got caught up in a game! We all did! You want to avenge those kids! I know you do! You have a second chance, something that no other family member of yours has ever had before. No matter what you decide, myself and the other generals will be beside you. We do not align with Metaria! We only follow you!"

Beryl smiled and hugged Zoycite once more. "Thank you, Zoy. I'll think about my options. Metaria does not control me. She did once. Never again!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Serena and Casto were both sound asleep in the Sommers' household, though in different places. Serena was in her bed, as always, and Casto was on the couch. He swore this couch was more comfortable than the bed he was forced to sleep on while in America. He had fallen asleep within seconds of lying down and closing his eyes.

Luna, however, was anything but comfortable. She was pacing up and down the steps, in between Serena's room and the living room. '_You two are so much alike. Always a hassle to keep in check, and yet, it's what I love the most about you two. I do remember when I was told by a few guards about how close you were to each other. I felt so bad for you, Casto, after hearing about the rough life you had. I don't even know how I lost my memories of you, but I want to know you better._'

She padded down the steps and into the living room, looking over at Casto slightly. She then walked to the window sill and jumped onto it. She watched as the leaves of the trees blew in the wind.

"Rubeus could do what he wants with that crystal if he was allowed to have it," she quietly said to herself. "It could kill gods, and it can definitely kill any one of the Sailors. If anything were to happen to them, I would be so lost. I love every one of them. We have to make sure we find it first."

"L-Luna," she heard Casto say groggily, "is that...you I hear?"

Luna gasped and turned to see Casto rubbing his eyes. "Oh, Casto, I'm so sorry." She immediately jumped off of the sill and ran over to him. She jumped onto the coffee table and looked right at him. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"No, Luna," he answered as he sat up. "Don't worry about it. Too many things can wake me up. You were probably my alarm. What time is it?"

She looked over to the clock that was on top of the television and widened her eyes. "Three ten in the morning."

Casto's eyesight adjusted and he finally saw the information that was actually right in front of him. "Oh damn. I must not have been that tired if I'm awakened by you this early. It would usually take a marching band in this house to wake me."

"I can keep you company for a little bit until you can get back to sleep. Sometimes talking will make you exert the excess energy."

"Thanks, babe."

Luna laughed. "Babe? You...do know I'm a cat, right?"

"Of course. You know how I am. It's just something I'm used to saying to my lady friends, that's all."

"Guess even I'm not that used to American culture."

"Well, you are a great friend. If you don't want me calling you that, that's fine."

"Ah, no, it's alright. You're full of surprises, that's all. Half of the things I've seen from your sister surprised me, as well."

Casto angled his head slightly upwards. "She still surprises me. I didn't expect her to warm up to me so quickly. I thought it would take some more time for her, but she remembered so much so fast."

"That's because sibling love...no, family love, is something that awakens far faster than romantic love. It took a while for Serena to remember how much in love she and Darien were. It's a different kind of love for you and her."

"I know. It's just that, with how she was going after me when I first found her, I assumed it would be harder for her to come around."

"She was going through a lot at that point, too."

Casto exhaled and looked out the window. "She still is, in a way."

"I felt so bad for her and what she was going though. I didn't think she was..."

"This is personal to Sailor Moon and her so-called friends!" they heard Rubeus say from outside.

"No," Casto sighed, "he never does think of anything new."

"I'm challenging you to a fight, but not where you're expecting. Inside the Starlight Tower, top floor. Serena should know damn well where that is, and so should Tuxxy Boy. I will meet you there in an hour. If you do not come, then Tokyo will be scorched in a sea of fire. The clock's ticking, Sailors. Whatcha gonna do? Wake up, or die?"

Casto didn't hear anything else after that as he looked towards the equally panicked Luna. "Starlight Tower? He means that big thing sticking out near the Tokyo Bay? Weird place to stage a fight!"

"No, there's more significance than that," Luna answered. "That's where we found out that Serena was the Moon Princess. The Silver Crystal was formed at that point. And that was where Queen Beryl abducted Darien and made him into one of her own."

"I remember him telling me something about that back at the hospital last week."

"I'll go wake Serena and Reenie. You go and call the rest of the girls. Him choosing that spot baffles me...and scares me." Luna jumped off of the coffee table and ran upstairs to wake the two girls up.

**-xXXXXx-**

Zoycite smiled as she checked inside Beryl's bedroom one more time. She saw her friend sleeping and facing the wall.

"Sleep tight, my friend. I'll make sure we protect your kingdom."

She slowly and quietly shut the door behind her as she walked over to the throne.

However, before she could take a seat, Malachite beckoned to her, "Zoycite, we need to waken Queen Beryl."

"Why, Malachite? She's sound asleep."

"Rubeus is gone again."

Zoycite gasped. "Where to?"

"He went with Jackal to..." Malachite stopped silent.

"Where, Malachite?"

"Well, we can still track them through the machines that populate this place. It's how I know where they..."

"Malachite, just tell me where the hell they went to."

"Well, you're never gonna believe this!"

"Why are you stalling, Malachite? Nothing surprises me anymore. Not after everything that's been going on lately."

Malachite closed his eyes. "He's on the top floor of Starlight Tower."

"Oh, my God! I take that back. Why there?"

"I have no clue, but I know the Sailors are headed there now, but without that Reenie kid. I wouldn't blame them for making her stay there. Something seems off about him choosing that place."

"That's where I made my fatal mistake."

"It's also where the Princess was reawakened, if you remember."

"They left her behind because they think Rubeus has something up his sleeve."

"Nephlite is looking throughout the world to see if he can find anything that would look like the Hizrounswa through the tracking systems. It's a long shot if we could see anything through that, but he fears that Rubeus may have the crystal already."

"God help us if he does. But I don't want to wake her up for this."

"Why not?"

"She needs the rest, and she trusts me to make the right decisions. Besides, she just went through a lot this past week. Let Nephlite continue that search until he finds something. Where's Jedite?"

"He's looking to see about this Jackal character. We don't even know much about _that_ Youma."

"Tell him to get to Starlight Tower immediately, but don't let anyone know that we're aware of this situation. I'm going to revert back to covert ops for this one. Rubeus won't commit to the battle if he knows we're watching. I can tell Jedite how to get into the tower, but he would have to be on his own after that. You go and make sure it's not a trap to get him back to that house of theirs. That continues to be his target, and you know where it is."

"Zoycite, you seem to have this leadership thing well in hand. But what about yourself?"

"I'll keep an eye out on things here until Beryl wakes up. I'll tell her of this situation and then go from there. Lord knows what Rubeus has up his sleeve. I want to make sure we've got all of our bases covered. Go, Malachite!"

"Anything for you, my love." Malachite disappeared shortly after, leaving Zoycite to ponder.

'_Thank you, Malachite. That's probably what Melissa really needs. Someone to take over when she needs some rest. But why, Rubeus? Why Starlight Tower? Why haunt me like this?_'

**-xXXXXx-**

The sun hadn't even begun to shine out from the distant mountains yet. It was four in the morning as the Sailors and Tuxedo Mask—completely transformed before arriving—rode the elevator to the top floor. They still had ten minutes according to the ultimatum. It was plenty of time for them to get up there and face their enemy.

"Why here, though?" Luna asked.

"At least this is not Serena's house or the hospital," Vulture answered. "No one is going to be caught in this fight that shouldn't be."

"Darien was taken away from me that day because of Beryl," Sailor Moon sulked. "Some of our history is haunted because of what happened here."

"And you should remember this move, Sailors! Jackal, now!"

Rubeus' voice was followed by a large fireball that began to travel down the elevator shaft at an alarming rate towards them.

"Holy shit!" Jupiter gasped.

"_That_ happened, too," Mask said. "That was the last thing that happened before Serena revealed to me that she was Sailor Moon."

"He wants to toast all of us!" Mars yelled.

Vulture, however, did a wall jump to get higher than the rest of his party. "Vulture Shield!" The wings of his protection absorbed the fireball with ease as Vulture flipped backwards and back onto his feet with a slight kneel.

"So," Rubeus sneered, "you want to play like that, do you, Sailors? No problem!"

The elevator stopped and the doors opened, revealing the barren and dark top floor. It had one window, which was behind a large black and orange stripped dog-like creature that was alongside Rubeus.

"So, I'm guessing that's Jackal, right?" Venus asked.

"Oh, aren't you the smart one?" Rubeus answered smartly. "He's my accompanist this time around, and Mask, I think he has a score to settle with you."

"Ah, don't I ever," the wide-fanged creature spoke as he swiped his large talons at the air. "I asked you countless times to pick me to find the Moon Princess for you, and instead, you picked everyone around me! What a friend you turned out to be."

"Ah, shut up, Jackal!" Mask ordered. "You know damn well you were too crazy to handle. You would want to rip everyone apart before it was all said and done!"

"Jackal, go ahead and tear them to shreds now!" Rubeus suggested.

Jackal came down on all fours and lunged at Mask, who jumped out of the way and threw a few roses at him. They hit his back, but they refused to faze him.

"Mercury Ice Storm! Freeze!"

The ice was aimed at the floor, and when Jackal ran to hit Mercury, he began sliding towards the wall. However, Jackal smirked and jumped onto the wall and, with his talons, swiped at Mercury. She just barely got out of the way as she readied another attack.

"Mercury Bubbles! Blast!"

The fog began to surround Jackal, and he was slightly confused.

"Jackal,' Rubeus began, "swipe away wildly! They use that to blind you! It's just fog! Your eyes can handle it!"

The large creature began swiping with his talons. He was clearing the fog around him swiftly.

"You should've told him everything else that we do as well, Rubeus," Mars smirked. "Mars Fire Soul! Ignite!"

"Jackal, jump, _now_!" Rubeus screamed. Jackal jumped up as the fireball sailed under him.

Jupiter jumped up with him, however, and began to spin as she was leaping. Her leg outstretched, and she narrowed her eyes in determination.

"No, you don't, either," Rubeus yelled as Jupiter suddenly felt a sharp pain in her side that came from a lightning beam. She could not finish her kick as she fell onto her back.

"The hell is going on?" Vulture asked. "I've never seen him this eager to defend any of the Youma before tonight."

Venus ran towards Jackal as he was returning to the ground, yelling, "Venus Love Chain! Encircle!" She had hoped to catch him off-guard, but Jackal only swiped at the chain and grabbed it. He pulled in Venus as she was still firing the end of the chain out, punching her in the stomach as she met him. Her back collided with the ground.

"Jackal got stronger somehow," Mask said. "I don't get this, either."

"We're going to have to pull together if we want to beat him," Moon uttered.

Outside of the window, on a small niche on the building, stood Jedite, who was listening in on everything. "I agree with you, Tuxedo. I've never seen him try so hard before. There's something else to this. Maybe it was just a coincidence that he picked this tower."

**-xXXXXx-**

_Beryl was standing in the barren snow field. A storm was picking up, though she couldn't care less if she was frozen solid right now. She stood in front of a crumbled pile of bricks that was almost as tall as she was. She took baby steps towards the bricks though the snow that was piling on top of her feet._

_She only took two steps before she heard her own voice cry out, "Victoria, stay with me, please!" She turned around to see herself holding the same teacher she had told Zoycite about. Her mouth widened a bit, and she watched as her younger self tried her hardest to revive her friend._

_"No," she told herself, "she didn't make it!"_

_"C'mon, Victoria," she continued to hear the younger shadow queen yell out, "you have to survive! There have to be some survivors!" A loud scream echoed through the North Pole as she saw that young soul's head whip back. "As God is my witness, this will never happen again! Ever! I will make sure of it! These children will never be forgotten!"_

_She continued to watch the younger Beryl still try to revive Victoria. "This just can't be happening! Please, not to such a sweetheart of a teacher. Not to...Serena!"_

_"What?"_

_Beryl saw herself change into Queen Serenity, who was crying up to the air. "Please, don't take Serena!"_

_"No, Serenity! No one's taking..."_

_"Ha ha ha!" she heard herself cackle. She looked back to the pile of bricks to see that a rock formation had replaced them. On the top of the formation was herself. She was laughing and enjoying the moment. "Serenity, you shall forever remember the name of Queen Beryl and the Dark Kingdom!"_

_"No," the present Beryl yelled out. "This is not me! What is this? Serenity didn't deserve it! I didn't know what I was..."_

_"Serenity, your only hope is to forever...**Praise Keishi**!"_

_The words made the present Beryl take several steps back, shaking her head. "No! I hated them! I never uttered those words that day! Even then, I would never think of joining the likes of those monsters!"_

_"No!" she heard Serenity say. However, when Beryl looked back to Serenity, she instead saw Victoria crying and placing the Silver Crystal into the Moon Stick._

_"Victoria? Were you...no, wait...Victoria, that's not me! I swear to God, that's not me! I would never..."_

_"You will not take my daughter away from me!"_

_"I would never do that!" She turned to her past self. "Please stop! You don't know what you're doing! Let them go! There has to be some other way! I know you, because you're me! I know you don't want to do this! She's using you! Don't listen to her! Queen Serenity was never your real enemy! Serena isn't your enemy!"_

_It was like no one even listened as the figures continued to go about their exchange. However, she took one more look at the rock pillar, and she saw herself not on the rock, but now inside the school window. She gasped loudly as she saw herself take a small device with a bright red button on it._

_"What? Please, I...I..."_

_"Victory," the past self sneered, "Praise Keishi!" She pressed the button as an explosion overtook her ears._

**-xXXXXx-**

Queen Beryl gasped as she shot up from her bed in a cold sweat. Her eyes were as widened as they ever could be, and she was panting heavily. She looked all around to see her room, which was the way she had left it before going to sleep. That is, unless she counted the covers that were somewhat ruffled thanks to Zoycite sitting there the night before.

She could sense it: it was still very early in the morning, though she didn't care about the exact hour right now. "No! I'd never take..." She looked to the photo of her parents and herself. "Mother, I didn't mean to! I got..." She grabbed her forehead. "I got so carried away with how much I hated everyone for what they had done to me. I forgot who it was that loved me for who I was. It never used to be like this. I...I let you both down by accepting her. Please, I hope you two can forgive me."

She turned her feet onto the floor and stood up. She walked over to her closet and quickly pulled out her snow suit. "Zoycite, take care of my kingdom for me again. There's something I have to see."

**-xXXXXx-**

So, ready to give up yet?" Rubeus asked as he continued to watch the Jackal battle the Sailors.

"Never, Rubeus," Mask yelled out.

Each of the Sailors was trying their attacks on the brute. Sailor Moon was swiping with her Tiara, though Jackal continued to duck and jump and dive to avoid every throw. The dog had also dodged a Crescent Beam, a Thunder Bolt, and a Shadow Vulture.

It would be Mercury's turn again. Though the battle was with the Jackal, her eyes were scanning the room for Rubeus. "I hate you, Rubeus! How could you leave me in that pod to die?"

"Shut it, Mercury! You know you would've just needed to be put out of your misery. It was your mistake for going there in the first damn place, now isn't it?"

She fumed and yelled, "Shine! Aqua! Illusion!"

Jackal, however, breathed out a pillar of fire that blocked the water and made it into pure steam. Mercury's jaw dropped upon seeing it.

"Whatever we throw at him, either he has a counter for it, or Rubeus warns him about first," Moon concluded.

"I think I have an idea," Vulture said, walking towards Jackal. "Alright, doggie, you wanna play? Bring what you've got!"

"Bro, don't do this!"

"Vulture Amateur, you sure you want to take on someone like this?" Rubeus snickered.

Casto narrowed his eyes. "Do I ever." '_Sis, please show me you have an idea of what I'm planning._'

Rubeus stood back against the wall right beside the only window. '_Go ahead, Vulture! That's exactly what I was hoping you would do! One more minute!_'

Jackal swiped at Vulture, but he ducked and slid into his left kneecap. The kick was enough to send Jackal to one knee, and Vulture followed up by kicking him in the chin, and then sweeping his other knee from underneath him. Vulture rolled out of the way of the Youma's falling body.

"Sis, now!" Vulture yelled. "He won't be able to do anything without his tail!"

Sure enough, the Jackal's long tail was exposed as he was trying to return to his feet. Moon readied her Tiara while she narrowed her eyes. "Moon Tiara! Magic!" She was this time able to fire the Tiara like a dagger right at the monster's tail. It hit it and sliced it completely off, making Jackal scream out in pain.

'_No,_' Rubeus thought. '_He won't ever make it past five minutes!'_

Jackal began to shoot out fireballs out from his mouth at an alarming rate. The Sailors jumped to avoid the fireballs, though they were not without worry.

"If he keeps this up, he'll burn the entire tower down!" Mask yelled. "We can't let that happen!"

'_Thirty seconds, Jackal,_' Rubeus thought. '_Just keep them off of you for that much longer._'

"Anything we do is going to make it worse," Mercury added. "We can't use our powers at all without him disintegrating it with his fire and making this tower fall!"

Vulture looked to his sister, and the two nodded to each other in synchronization. He then looked to the ailing Jackal and jumped towards his sister, who had her Tiara held out. He grabbed it with poise as the two siblings came back to back.

The Tiara gave off a shadowy aura, and Vulture and Moon both yelled together, "Vulture Tiara!"

'_Ten seconds, Jackal!_' Rubeus knew he couldn't do anything else to save Jackal at this point. All he could do was to hope that the attack would need a few more precious seconds to execute. Either that, or Jackal could shoot one of the many fireballs he was breathing out. The room was beginning to catch fire to the point that it broke the glass of the only window, right near where Jedite had made his perch.

"_Strike_!"

The vulture engulfed the Tiara and sped off like a bat out of hell towards the target. Like the last time they had performed this move, it only took a few seconds for the tiara to strike Jackal's heart. The monster screeched as his dark soul plunged out of his body and both it and the soul evaporated quickly.

"Damn it," Rubeus growled. "Four and fifty eight. Wonder if she's counting the seconds, too! Time to get the bad news!" He disappeared from view.

"That thing is gone," Venus yelled, "but we got another problem with this fire! We can't let this inferno destroy the tower!"

"Mercury Ice Storm! Freeze!" Mercury fired her ice all around the room, but it wasn't doing much to help as the eruptions continued. She continued to fire her attack at the plumes of fire, but they kept raging out of control.

"Nothing else is going to work," Mask shouted. "No one else has any ice attacks!"

"Maybe not," Mars answered. "But we can help her! Mars Celestial Fire! Surround!" The fire rings shot out towards a plume of fire.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" The water went into the fire rings to create solid circles of blue fire that began to race towards each plume. It was more effective this time, as the blue fire took over across the room. The danger was now gone as the blue fire quickly dissipated.

"There we go." Mars smiled. "Nothing like fighting fire with fire!"

"Thought we were going to die there," Moon added. "What was with him picking here to meet, though? It was like he was thinking we would be distraught with fighting here!"

"Actually," Vulture answered, "I don't think he meant for this place to taunt us."

"What do you mean, Vulture?" Venus asked.

"I don't think this location was meant for Rubeus to taunt us, but someone he doesn't like in the Dark Kingdom!"

"You must mean Zoycite," Mask responded. "But why would he _want_ to taunt her with it?"

"Probably because of her stopping him from killing Miss Haruna the other night! He's got some way with planning these types of revenge plots out!"

"This isn't making sense at all," Moon said. "Rubeus doesn't like Queen Beryl, I figured that out. But to come here and fight us just to get at Zoycite and then to be more involved in this fight? Something doesn't add up. Need to ask Luna if she found out anything."

"Where is she, anyway, sis?"

"Luna's at the hospital. You mentioned that he was trying something new, but we know his usual targets, so she's been keeping an eye on that. Artemis was trying to see if he could find anything else out about this Hizrounswa."

As the Sailors traveled to the elevator and began to descend to the ground, Mercury added, "Yeah, it's really weird that a crystal that is so dangerous and so sought after would just drop off the face of the Earth."

They continued to talk amongst themselves, though Jedite was listening in, still perched on the small ledge near the window as he watched the Sailors leave the room through the elevator. "Thank you, Sailors, for not letting me burn. You brought up a damn good question, too. Where is this crystal? Why did he come here?" He disappeared from the ledge by jumping off of it into thin air.

**-xXXXXx-**

"Malachite," Zoycite panicked as she ran towards her lover and the throne in the center of the room, "Queen Beryl's gone!"

"What?" he gasped.

"I just looked in her room to see if she was ever going to wake up, and she wasn't there! I didn't even hear her leave!"

"Where did she go?"

"Not sure! She did say she had to get out of this kingdom for a few hours, but that was last night, and she came back later."

"But nothing now?"

"No! Malachite, this is serious! She's been very distraught lately about everything that has been going on around here. I'm scared that she might have gone and..."

"No, Zoycite," he said, wrapping his arms around her tightly, "don't think that. She'll be alright."

"Where could she have gone, though, Malachite? Where else could she have gone on the North Pole?"

**-xXXXXx-**

The echoes of the Arctic Cat could be heard throughout the North Pole as it skidded across the barren tundra. Beryl was jumping left and right as the snow blew across her entire snow suit and helmet. This time, however, she had narrowed eyes throughout her entire ride as she continued at an alarming speed.

Just about ten miles from the crater that led to the Dark Kingdom stood what she was headed for. She skidded to a full stop as she looked towards a statue of a woman in pumps, a long skirt and a blouse. The golden figure was surrounded with the image of children who were hugging the smiling woman.

The statue stood on top of a large silver pedestal with a bronze plaque that bore several engravings. Beryl walked over to it as she undid her helmet and laid it on her snowmobile. She knelt down to read the plaque:

"We shall never forget. The life of the angelic teacher. Victoria Hiachi will be missed, as well as the children who were too young to pass on. They will always be in our hearts." Below the writing were several names. About five hundred in all. They were the names of the children who were killed in the terrorist attack.

Beryl looked to the plaque with teary eyes and put a palm onto it. "I didn't want anyone to forget who you were, Victoria. I made sure people would remember you, and what happened here. I wasn't able to save you. I'm deeply sorry, and I hope that wherever you are, you can find it within your heart to forgive me for not doing enough to save the school. The only one that ended up forgetting what happened and my pledge to never let this happen to anyone else...was me. I forgot how much I cared for all of you. I forgot what really mattered. I saved Patrica, and I would do it again if I had to. If Malachite had asked me to revive Zoycite that day, I would've done it without a second thought. If Jedite told me he knew something that would give me more knowledge now, I would listen with open ears. If Nephlite was in danger, I would do whatever was in my power to save him. And if the Moon Kingdom was still standing and Metaria told me we needed to destroy it...I would refuse!"

She gritted her teeth as she looked up at the smiling face of the statue. "This was the spot where you made yourself into a legend, Victoria. Rubeus called me a legend. I'm no legend. I don't deserve to be a legend. The Beryl name has been cursed for generations." She closed her eyes and tightened a fist. "The Beryl curse must end! Thank you, Victoria. You've taught your greatest lesson well. I think it's time that I end this curse. I've been given a second chance. I'm not going to waste it. Not this time. Never again. I love you, Victoria. And don't worry, kids. B is going to make all of you proud one more time."

She smiled as she placed a kiss onto her hand before placing that hand onto the plaque. She put her helmet back onto her head and revved up her Arctic Cat, speeding off back to her crater.

**-xXXXXx-**

"Zoycite," Nephlite's voice rung out. Zoycite, Jedite, and Malachite were standing near the throne discussing the latest development of Beryl's mysterious disappearance.

"What's going on, Nephlite?" she asked. "Did you find out where it is?"

"Yes, and you're never going to believe this!"

"Wait," Malachite yelled, "you found the Hizrounswa?"

"Yes, and," Nephlite took a deep breath, "it's here!"

"What?" Jedite growled. "The one thing that Rubeus has been trying to kill people for is _here_?"

"We're standing right on it?" Zoycite added.

"Yes," Nephlite sulked. "I don't have time to explain right now how I know, but it's within the Dark Kingdom. Someone in this place has it in their possession. Right now, in fact."

"Beryl wouldn't have it, and I know none of us do."

"Rubeus doesn't have it yet," Jedite answered.

"Then that leaves..._Oh_, _my God_!"

**-xXXXXx-**

"Metaria," Rubeus whimpered as he approached the edge of the rock protrusion in front of the egg, "I failed. Four minutes and fifty-eight seconds. You asked for five before he was killed. I guess that must mean that I'm not cut out to know about the crystal."

"On the contrary, Rubeus," she answered, "you have done very well. I didn't think you would go to the Starlight Tower. Why did you go there? It was something that even I was trying to figure out!"

"I was just trying to show some people around here that I can follow your orders. Just consider it a message sent to Zoycite that I'm more cut out to have her job than any of them, or Queen Beryl herself!"

As Rubeus was talking, however, neither of the two noticed that the woman he had just mentioned was listening in through a small crack in the wall that was behind Rubeus. She peered into the small hole with one eye, looking at everything that was going on.

"I think they got it. But back to business, you said you failed your mission?"

"Yeah, by two seconds. I hope you can forgive me. I know what you said about those trials, and I'm ready to accept..."

"You really thought I gave a damn about any of those trials?" Metaria interrupted.

"But you said that the people that desired the crystal needed to be put through..."

"_They_ did! Though they don't know anything. They have no idea what kind of desires were in those minds. It was so beautiful. I have trusted you since the day you came into this Kingdom and revived us. I knew it from the beginning that you were the right man."

"So, in other words..."

"You are about to know where the Hizrounswa is hiding!"

On the other side of the wall, Beryl's eyes widened as she whispered to herself, "She..._knows_ where it is? And she didn't say anything to us, but told him everything?"

"Tell me, Metaria," Rubeus chuckled. "It's time to tell this world who we are!"

"Yes, Rubeus," Metaria answered. "I didn't care if you passed the tests or not. I would've told you anyway. You're the man who will make my dreams of this world crumbling underneath their feet come true. I know you will. You have something special that I will never see in that pitiful Queen Beryl! I know now her memories are reawakening inside of her. I know now that I'm losing my control on her. It will not be easy to kill her, but I will do so if it's the last thing I do."

"Okay, so where is the Hizrounswa?"

"Yeah, Metaria," Beryl whispered. "Where is this crystal whose location you say you know?"

Metaria chuckled, and before Rubeus rose a small piece of rock within the air. It stopped forming as it reached his hands. It was similar in color to the blue rock protrusion he stood on.

"Rubeus, behold!" Metaria fired a small beam from her egg onto the rock. It broke open to show an opaque orange aura surrounding a flat platform. What was on the platform made Rubeus' jaw drop: a shiny black, six-sided crystal about five inches long when including the pointed sides.

"Metaria," he gasped, "you mean..."

"It's the reason I know where the Hizrounswa is, and why I just needed to make sure I could trust you. I had to get it ready for you to wield. Yes, Rubeus, this is the Hizrounswa death crystal. You were correct in it being here, but you were just asking the wrong queen."

Beryl's jaw was also nearing the floor. "No, Metaria. How could you? Don't let him have it!"

Metaria fired another black beam, and the orange aura dissipated, making the Hizrounswa unprotected. "Go ahead, Rubeus. It's all yours."

Rubeus took a single step and slowly reached out his hand towards the crystal. He laid his hand onto the rock platform, and inched his fingers towards it. When he was a centimeter away, he immediately grabbed the crystal and held it to his eyes to survey the glossy weapon.

"You now hold in your hands true power, Rubeus," Metaria continued. "It's as real as it can be!"

"Yes," Rubeus shouted. "And you were also right in the transfer of knowledge. I feel like I've spent my entire life learning the craft of the crystal."

"Wait until you use it, Rubeus. Trust me, feeling its knowledge and touching it is nothing compared to the first time you use it."

"First time you use it," Rubeus said. "But how did you get it without the gods knowing?"

"What the gods didn't know was that there was someone following them into the temple. They were so naive to think that they had so many secrets. Their power was already zapped by the crystal, and they were using the last of their life to transport it there and scribble down all those drawings. Once they buried it and went into the halls, I made my move. All I had to do was to make sure no one was aware of my presence, and it was like taking candy from a baby."

"So you could get past the protective gods because they didn't get to their jobs yet."

"Yes. These fools in the Dark Kingdom think that this is my first time on Earth. How do you think I was able to destroy the Moon Kingdom? It wasn't just Beryl who leveled it. It was also the same crystal that killed the gods. I was coming back to finish the job on Earth when some space shuttle collided into me. Never knew how to combat it when I was going at a thousand miles an hour. I crashed here, in the North Pole, with the Hizrounswa in hand that I cleverly tucked away. I couldn't go back to Egypt to get into the temple and put the gods out of their misery, but that's when I met Queen Beryl."

"And the rest is history," Beryl muttered. "Metaria, you backstabbing bitch!"

"Took such a long time for me to finally be able to get enough strength to get up to the Moon Kingdom and destroy it. I knew it wasn't an accident that the shuttle had crashed into me. They knew damn well I was coming, and they paid dearly for taking my strength away from me. I cannot wield it because of my current predicament, obviously, but you can."

"And I will," Rubeus growled. "The first thing I will do is rid the world of the Sailor Pukes!"

"And then, this world will become ours. And Rubeus, you have the same idea I do about that pitiful Silver Crystal!"

"Yes! It will go bye bye. I'll let you watch me fire level six right at that obsolete piece of shit!"

"No, Rubeus," Beryl panicked quietly, "I would never let anyone shatter the Silver Crystal! It's not obsolete. Metaria, you don't know what you're doing. It sounds like you no longer care."

"And Rubeus," Metaria finished, "one more thing. As of now, you are going to be known as King Rubeus of the Dark Kingdom!"

"Woah!" Rubeus gasped.

"You have full reigns over everything. It is the ultimate way that I can make sure that Beryl will no longer be able to do anything to you. You are now higher than she is in rank. You are _my_ king, and she will serve you _and_ me, or she will perish!"

Beryl took deep breaths, quickly running off after hearing of Rubeus' promotion.

**-xXXXXx-**

The sun was beginning to peak out, and Ikuko's bare feet pattered through the hallway towards the bathroom at a slow pace. As she began to turn the knob, she stopped and sighed. Her eyes shifted, with her head following to the door behind her. It led into Sammy's room, and the sight of the door alone made her shed a tear.

'_Sammy, I didn't mean to make you hate me,_' she thought. '_I would do anything to get you to forgive me._'

Her hand came off of the bathroom doorknob. She turned towards Sammy's door and twisted the knob. She opened the door and looked in. The sight she saw made her gasp softly.

She laid her eyes on a peaceful Sammy. He was sleeping, but what had changed was that Reenie was in the bed with him, her arms firmly wrapped around him as she was just as peaceful in her sleep.

The sight of the sleeping children made Ikuko smile. '_You two are becoming exactly like Casto and Serena are. They have so close of a family bond that they would do whatever they could to keep each other safe. I wish I could be the one hugging him, though. Sammy, I'm sorry. I hope Reenie's love for you will help you to forgive me. No matter how much you may hate me for my mistake that night, I will always love you, Sammy._' She slowly and quietly shut the door behind her as she smiled and went back to bed.

**-xXXXXx-**

The light purple jewel was out of the tiara, and she was very thankful that her generals were not in the throne room right now. They had probably gone to see if they were right about whatever they were researching; the same thing that Beryl already knew. She didn't say any words as she looked at the thick, dark purple tiara that was usually on her temple. It was now in her hands, and in front of her also stood her throne. She gave a heavy sigh, and then placed the tiara carefully on the seat of the chair, facing the front.

'_Everyone, I'm sorry,_' she thought. '_It's time I made my decision. Rubeus is being declared as a damn king, and I've realized where my real place is. It's not here. Not as long as Metaria has a vice grip on this kingdom. The Silver Crystal must be protected at all costs. Her hiding the fact that she had the Hizrounswa from everyone was the final straw. I'm not coming back. I don't deserve to be the queen of this place. Hell, who even does? Zoycite, I gave you a message in my room. I hope you find it and read it. I don't mean to abandon you or any of them. It's just...it's time that I fulfill my promises. I was given a second chance, and I'm going to make sure that I do not __waste it._'

She turned on her heel and slowly began walking away from the throne, through the many doors, and finally to the steps outside. It was longer than any other staircase in the Kingdom, but she couldn't care less as she quickly paced down each step. Eying the bottom, she continued to ponder. "_Once I teleport from the North Pole, I will not be able to come back. The tiara is also the source of that ability of mine. I do not wish to have it any longer. I'm making sure this is the last thing I will allow that magic to do for me. This is the furthest I can be away from it and still have it work._'

She finally reached the bottom of the steps. She took a few more paces forward before turning towards where she had came from. '_Metaria, you will never have me again. Victoria, I will avenge you and those children. Serenity, it was never my intention nor my idea. And Zoycite...good luck. You've been defiant for so long. Now it's time that I show how defiant I can be. You will never get that Silver Crystal, Metaria. It belongs to one person only, and that...is not me.'_

She looked to her hand. In it was the purple crystal that was held at the center of her tiara. She gripped it in her hand as she dropped both of her arms to her sides. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back slightly. Within seconds, a soft purple aura had made her disappear into the thin air. Queen Beryl was gone.

* * *

I hoped you enjoyed it as much as I am enjoying writing this.

Next chapter might be a bit longer. Hope you are ready for it.

Good night and good luck.


	6. Turning Point

WAR GAMES  
CHAPTER 6  
Turning Point

Written by Darkpower  
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)

* * *

She had heard a loud knock at the door. Her red hair was wet from the shower she had just taken, and she was using her towel to vigorously dry her hair. She would've blow dried it if this person would just stop knocking like a madman. Did he have to try to break her door down? She put on her red pajamas real quick and raced down the blue carpeted steps. She was going to make sure she gripped the wood banister next time she tried to run that fast downstairs. She took a deep breath before opening up the door. Before her stood a tall male with salt-and-pepper hair, complete in a three piece suit.

She narrowed her eyes at the man. "Hi! Umm...can I help you?"

"Miss Baker?" the man said.

"Yes?"

"My name is Harold Koa. I'm Molly's English teacher. I was wondering if I could have a word with you about your daughter."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know she had a new teacher," she gleamed before opening up the door further. "I apologize for the inhospitably."

"Don't apologize. It is me who should be apologizing for catching you at such a bad time. Looks like you just jumped out of the shower."

Miss Baker looked at the carpet to see the wet footprints she had made. "Oh, it's not a bad time. Please, come in. I'll get dressed quickly and make you some tea."

Mister Koa came into the house, replacing his shoes with pink slippers. "Oh, no, you don't have to. I won't have much time to enjoy it."

"Nonsense, sir. You're a teacher who is taking the time to come to the house of one of his students when he should have a day off. You have enough time. The living room is right inside there." She pointed to the room with the baby blue paint on the walls and matching chairs and couch.

"You sure love blue, Miss Baker."

"Was my mother's favorite color. I wanted to remember her as best I could after she passed away. Here, have a seat on the chair and I'll go ahead and..."

"Nah, don't worry about the tea. I need to get to a family function later today and it'll take me a few hours to drive there. I have to be on the road in about twenty minutes, and it'll take me a bit to talk to you about what has been happening."

Baker sighed disappointingly. "It's fine." She entered the room and sat down on the couch near him as she crossed her legs. Koa nodded as he peered at her dangling foot before looking into her eyes. However, his distraction kept him from noticing that Molly had came down a few steps to hear the conversation.

"You do know that Molly has been trying to switch English teachers, right?"

Miss Baker shook her head. "I didn't know of this."

"I just got the notice yesterday afternoon as I was leaving. I didn't know why she would. She hasn't been getting that good of marks recently, though, and I think she believes that I'm treating her unfairly."

Molly fumed as her mother continued, "Why would she think that?"

"There's a group of students that she considers her friends that have been rather disruptive in my classes recently. Serena, Casto, Melvin. I think they are disrupting her studies, as well. It's really unfortunate."

'_Melvin would never disrupt any class, you liar,_' Molly thought as she became angrier.

"Hard to believe Melvin would," Miss Baker said. "He's her boyfriend, and he's been in this house. He sounds like a teacher's pet more than anything."

"It's usually the ones you least expect. But she hangs around them a lot, and I think it's affecting her grades, though she wants to hide the notion that it has anything to do with it by going to another teacher."

Miss Baker sighed deeply. "I'll talk to Molly about it. I have noticed that she's been less than enthusiastic about school lately. I didn't know what was going on. She was so ready to go to school every day, and now she doesn't even want to get out of bed."

'_It's because I don't like him, mom. Don't let him lie to you._'

"Well, I just wanted to let you know of the situation. At the rate she's going, I wouldn't be surprised if my class wasn't the only one that she's suddenly slipped in. I can ask around, but you may have to take some action before she flunks junior high."

"As soon as you leave, I will talk to her."

Mister Koa stood up and began to head out of the living room. Molly made sure she couldn't be seen as she jumped up the stairs and into her room.

"I thank you for lending me your time, Miss Baker. I'm sure you will do the right thing and make sure she knows that her education comes before any friends."

Miss Baker followed him out of the room and to the front door as Koa put his shoes back on. "Don't worry, sir. I'll do what I can to see that has her priorities straight."

"Thank you. And again, I apologize for the inconvenience." He looked down to her feet one last time. "You might want to dry those off before you answer a door. The water you put onto your carpets can grow mildew if you aren't careful."

"It'll be alright, sir," she replied. "Not the first time I've had to answer a door so suddenly. Led to some pretty embarrassing moments, if you know what I mean."

Koa smiled as he nodded. He didn't waste any more words as he shut the door behind him.

Once he was gone, Miss Baker turned to the steps. "Molly, I need to talk to you now, please."

Just beyond the door frame, Molly became concerned. '_No way!_'

**-xXXXXx-**

"Nephlite," Jedite asked, "are you sure it was here?"

Nephlite showed his fellow General his findings on the observatory terminal. "See for yourself. That dot represents the pure dark energy that could only come from the Hizrounswa. What else would cause such an awesome reading like that?"

Jedite and Malachite both took a look at the small screen. There was a single black dot that was pulsing wildly.

"No damn way," Jedite gasped. "That's gotta be it! Can't imagine it being anything else!"

"What's worse," Nephlite continued, "is that what you're seeing is a representation of was just recently scanned. I haven't refreshed it yet."

"Wait," Malachite interrupted. "If it's here, and she has it, then why would refreshing it change the reading?"

"Think about who wants it, and will do anything to get it!"

"Should you refresh it every few minutes?" Jedite objected.

"I have to do so around every hour. It's only been a half hour since this thing last refreshed. I don't think she would give it to just anyone."

"Maybe you should do a manual refresh then," he heard Zoycite say from behind him. The three turned around to see her enter the black-domed observatory with a white sheet of paper in her hand.

"Zoycite," Malachite boomed, "what's wrong?"

"She no longer has it. It belongs to Rubeus!"

"What do you mean?" Jedite asked. As he was doing so, Nephlite turned to the terminal and began to push some buttons.

"I found this piece of paper in Queen Beryl's bedroom. I was trying to see if she was going to come back like she had done on her previous trip. But we've got two situations now. First, Rubeus has the Hizrounswa, and secondly...well, I think you need to read this."

Malachite took the paper from Zoycite. He began to read the scribbles out loud, "To whoever finds this first. I have made my decision to do what I can in order to put an end to our suffering. My mind has been made up. As long as Rubeus is allowed to do whatever he desires by Queen Metaria, I consider her my enemy. In a way, I have always considered her my greatest enemy. She has betrayed me more than anyone else ever has. She took my emotions and used them for her own game. No more will I allow the Beryl curse to continue on. I have decided to relinquish my duties and privileges as Queen of the Dark Kingdom."

"No," Jedite panicked. "We need her here!"

"There's more," Malachite said before he continued to read. "My people were my love, not anyone else. I forgot the one lesson I was teaching everyone here, which is to not let anyone tell you what your destiny is, or what it should be. You control your own destiny. Learn from your mistakes, and make sure your actions help those in need. A long time ago, I failed to protect those I cared about. And then, I did the same action that I swore I would never let happen again. This is a sin that I will work to cleanse, but it's going to take time and willpower to be able to do so. I do hope I have your full support, as I did not intend on it ending this way."

"My God, she's right," Nephlite interrupted. "The crystal has been moved to the Youma holding room. That's Rubeus' usual hang-out spot."

Malachite kept on reading. "To my General friends, read and listen well. Rubeus has the Hizrounswa. Metaria gave it to him without a second thought. She's his partner, and it gets worse. He knows exactly how to use it, and Metaria intended to give it to him all along. His intention is not to obtain the Silver Crystal, but to shatter it. You were right, Nephlite. If he is allowed to shatter the Crystal, then I fear the worst. Metaria also made him her king."

"What?" Jedite yelled. "No way in hell I'm serving that punk!"

"Me neither," Malachite agreed.

"She addressed that, actually," Zoycite said.

Malachite put his eyes onto the paper once more. "I must write this letter before I go to inform you, first, of my apologies. I am truly, deeply sorry that it looks like I've abandoned you. By the time you read this, I will already be gone. I left my tiara on my throne. Without it, I will no longer be able to return to this place, though I do not intend to return. I care deeply for all of you, but this is something that I have to do for me. However, with that being said, I can issue one more order for all of my Generals before I leave. To Jedite, who I should've listened to when he said he knew who the Sailors were. To Nephlite, who I should've let follow his heart with Molly without anymore suffering. To Malachite, who I wish I knew even more than I did. And to you, Zoy, who I'm thankful for giving me guidance that I didn't know I needed, I give you this last order: live!

"I order you to live your lives out! Get out of that Godforsaken kingdom and don't let Rubeus or Metaria run your lives. You are not obligated to serve either of them, and you are to refuse any orders that he or she give you. I cannot tell you what to do from there. If you choose to stay and protect the kingdom, then that is your right, but I do advise you not to stay. Please, don't stay there. I will find you four again, and when I do, we will reclaim the kingdom once more, and we will rebuild it from the ground up. I've given all of you the tools necessary to transport yourselves out of the kingdom and into civilization wherever you choose. I made the worst mistake in my life a few years ago. My decision is to atone for my sins. I hope you do the same. My friends, I love you all. Signed, Queen Melissa Beryl...of the North Pole Kingdom."

"North Pole Kingdom?" Jedite asked.

"What this place once was," Zoycite answered as she shed a tear.

"We should've known this was coming," Nephlite said. "We all saw how much she was changing."

"I fear for her, though. I don't think she knows where she's going."

"Anywhere but here, I bet," Malachite answered. "But Rubeus also has the Hizrounswa now. And she wants us to leave this kingdom while he runs wild-shot with that thing? No way I'm letting him control anyone here."

"This is weird, too," Nephlite interrupted. "I'm not picking up any energy being administered."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know how the Youmas that have been picked by Rubeus had some sort of injection of dark energy infused inside of them?"

"Yeah," Malachite answered. "He brings them to that orb thing and lets them take all they want. I saw the monitors go crazy the day he let Meltdown take some."

"Well, that energy makes them stronger, but unstable. If anyone were to hit their weak point, then the energy would start going off like a bomb. They become so unstable that anything they do can cause catastrophic disasters."

"Yes," Jedite agreed. "I rang that bell and that made her go ballistic on me."

"Worst thing is that we can't do anything about it because of the access that he has to it now."

Zoycite turned and walked limply with her head lowered. She hoped that no one paid any attention to her sudden self-dismissal. '_Melissa, be careful. I'm sure it won't be long before she realizes what you've done._'

**-xXXXXx-**

"You will now be serving me and only me," Rubeus said within the shadowy holding room with a mess of Youmas within. "Well, me and Metaria."

"Do you think she will try to get control of us again?" asked one Youma.

"She can't. Remember, she is to answer to us. Now that I am the new King of the Dark Kingdom, you will be able to get all the energy you desire."

"What about you?" said another Youma. "You hold the Hizrounswa. I don't know if you're going to need us now that you have that."

"I will still need you guys, but in a different way. The Sailors still outnumber me. I need the Youmas to be a distraction until I can get this thing ready." Rubeus smirked as he studied his new crystal. "Ah, how good it feels to finally have this thing. Part two of my revenge is complete. Just the feel of such power in my hands is astounding."

"Will you use any of us tonight?"

"I don't think I will tonight. You guys deserve a break. I want to try out this power. Maybe tonight I'll get lucky and take out some of those bitches permanently."

"Save some for us, though."

Rubeus was about to say something else when Metaria interrupted him in his mind. "_Rubeus, emergency situation. Queen Beryl has abandoned the Dark Kingdom! I cannot find her anywhere on the North Pole, and I see her tiara on the throne chair. I have a feeling she knows something somehow._"

He nodded before addressing the Youma once more. "I've just got some new information. Queen Beryl has left the Dark Kingdom and left her tiara on the chair. That is a sign that she is relinquishing her position as queen."

"About time," a Youma cheered. "She was holding all of us back."

"Well, I'm sure you guys want some revenge on her for doing that. Maybe I will need you tonight, after all. I'm going to ask you for a favor. Scour the North Pole for her. Look everywhere for her and don't leave any stone unturned. If any one of you finds her, kill her before telling any of us. Make her death your number one priority!"

One by one, the Youmas all disappeared. Rubeus sneered. "What the hell are you thinking, Queen Beryl? You know for sure that I'm capable of killing you, and these monsters are not afraid of making you pay for not giving your servants what they deserve. But I don't even have to worry about you anymore. Now that you've made your fatal mistake, I can focus on challenging the Sailors to a fight to the death. Screw a test for the Hizrounswa. I'm going to seal the deal on this! _Tonight_!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Serena was thankful that she could sleep in today. She had a very rough night, especially when she had to wake up early to face Rubeus and Jackal. She slept soundly in her bed and on her stomach. She hadn't bothered to take out the pins that held her odangos in place before she had gone back to bed.

It had grown close to noon, and the sun was shining in her face, though even that couldn't wake her up. Not even her phone ringing could get her to open her eyes. However as Casto came upstairs to wake her up, _he_ heard the phone ring. He found the door unlocked as he slowly sneaked into the room—he thought his sister deserved and needed the sleep—and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Casto," he heard an accented voice say, "is Serena there?"

"Molly? Um," he looked over to the peaceful Serena. "She's here, but she's asleep right now. Is there anything I can do?"

"I needed someone to talk to for a moment."

"What's wrong, Molly? You sound upset about something."

"My mother just grounded me for what's been going on with Mister Koa."

Casto's eyes widened. "What?"

"I'm really not even allowed to use the phone right now, but she doesn't know yet that I have a phone in my room. He came to the house and told her that my grades were suffering and that I was trying to get out of doing the work by transferring to a new English teacher. He also said that he thought you guys were causing me to be distracted. She bought all of it. He even said that Melvin was disrupting class."

"He's a pathological liar! Mel would never do anything like that."

"I don't get why he cared so much that I stayed in his class. Something isn't right here. Oh God, I can hear my mother coming. I gotta go. I'll talk to you in school tomorrow. Tell Serena what happened. Bye."

Casto heard Molly hang up as he did the same. '_Good question, Mol. Why does he care so much if you're in his class? That transfer was to take place tomorrow if I heard Mel correctly. What's the point?_'

He sighed as he walked out of the room to see Reenie looking up at him. "How is she?"

Casto looked down to his future niece and smiled at her. "She'll be alright. She was just really tired after all the fighting she's been put through lately."

Reenie sighed as she lowered her head. "I want to help her so much, but I've been here with Sammy. I want to help him too, but at the same time, I've missed Serena terribly, and I want to do what I can to help her."

Casto exhaled heavily and knelt down to her. "I think you're helping her in the best way possible by keeping Sammy safe. If it weren't for you, he probably would've been dead by now."

"He doesn't want me to leave tomorrow, though I have to."

"No one wants to have to leave their family behind, even for a second. I think you're finding out how tough it is for some people to make that decision."

"Some people, Uncle Casto?"

"I would like to think all people, but unfortunately, there are some who don't care about their families. Saw it in America all the time. It made me sick to see mothers who thought their children were nothing more than property that they claimed and could boss around. It's sad, and no one wants to think it happens, but it does."

"That's why I want Sammy to at least attempt to forgive his mother. She wasn't trying to let him die. She panicked and got lost in everything."

"It's tough to get rid of hatred when it stems from something that is such a life-changing moment like Sammy's ordeal was."

"I guess you're right. I think he's coming around, though."

"You're doing a good job." Reenie smiled and hugged him. "Thanks, Uncle Casto."

Casto returned the embrace. "No problem, Reenie."

After the two broke away, Reenie went upstairs and to her room in the attic. Casto looked on with a heavy heart as he whispered to himself, "Yeah, and I couldn't even follow my own advice. All your mother is asking for is a second chance, Sammy. I know it's hard, but you must. If for no one else, do it for Reenie." He walked back downstairs.

However, he hadn't noticed that Sammy had peered out of his door slightly to see and hear everything that was said. He didn't have any expression as he quietly closed the door. As Casto headed back downstairs, he heard the phone ring. Did they really have two separate phone lines? He didn't hear Serena's phone ring, even though he would've been able to still hear that one go off. He raced into the kitchen to where the phone was and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Is this the Sommers' residence?" asked a low voice.

"Yeah," he answered as Ikuko and Kenji came into the room with him.

"This is Doctor Mesta. I just wanted to let you know that Patrica Haruna woke up today. She was asking about Serena and if she was alright."

Casto could not answer, smiling as he looked towards the people behind him.

**-xXXXXx-**

"Patty," Serena cheered as her family entered Miss Haruna's hospital room. She ran to her and hugged her tightly. Haruna returned the embrace, but only weakly.

"Serena," Patrica said softly as she smiled, "I'm glad to see you're okay."

"Yeah, Miss Haruna," Casto agreed. "You gave us all a scare a few days ago."

"I know. The doctor told me about my brush with death. I didn't want to die. I've got so much more to do before my time comes. Serena, how's school?"

"Could be better now," she answered. "We've got Mister Koa as a substitute."

Patrica groaned as her head fell backwards slightly. "I was afraid they would choose him."

"You don't like him, either?" Casto asked.

"Hate him. I told them not to sub him in my class, but they do anyway. The School Authority doesn't ever listen to me."

"Well, now that you're awake," Ikuko said, "they probably won't have to put up with him much longer."

"I'm looking forward to coming back and giving you a hard time, Serena."

Serena smiled brightly. "I'm actually going to come in late one day just to hear you scream at me one more time."

Haruna giggled softly. "I think I can handle that."

"But seriously, I don't know where the school would be without you. We were all worried, and it wasn't just because we didn't want to have to deal with Koa."

"That'll just make me want to try to come back sooner."

"It'll take her another few days to heal to where she can be released, though," Doctor Mesta said from the doorframe. "Patrica, you're going to be experiencing some pains in your lower ribs for some time. After you get released, I'm going to order you to keep the work light so they can heal. That is, if you insist on returning to your job so early."

Haruna nodded and smiled. She would've said something in response, but a security guard entered the room. "Doctor, we've got a problem outside. Some weird guy in a brown vest and a black crescent moon on his skull is asking for that girl with the weird hair." He pointed right at Serena.

"It's him," she growled.

"Back to his old tricks, I see," Casto added. "Ikuko, Kenji, go with Doctor Mesta for now. We'll see what Rubeus wants this time. Probably another fight since he's good at losing them."

The two nodded as the family began to race out of the room.

"Serena," Haruna called out the best she could.

Serena was the only one who heard her as the others ran off. She turned back towards her teacher. "Hmm?"

"Thank you. He told me of your bravery. I owe you my life."

Serena shook her head. "All you owe me is to continue teaching. It isn't the same without you, Patty. We need you there. We all miss you. Repay me by refusing to quit." She smiled at Haruna before scampering off to join her brother.

"I'm not quitting, Serena. You're the one who's teaching me how to keep going."

**-xXXXXx-**

Serena and Casto both raced outside to greet Rubeus, only to see his holographic imagery.

"Don't worry, Serena! Vulture Amateur! I'm not coming after your precious teacher this time. It's you I want!"

"I swear to you, Rubeus," Serena hissed. "You lay one more finger on my loved ones, and I'll make you bleed!"

"Ah, what an empty threat. You still haven't done anything, and if you haven't noticed, I've been able to keep you occupied with the Youmas I've been sending your way."

"Yeah," Casto growled, "and what of it, huh? What is it this time? Another hit on her family? Going to her house again? You need to think of something new!"

"Well, I _would_ think of something new, but now that you've come out with her, Casto, you gave me a very interesting idea. Remember where we first fought? The pier? We started our war there, so why don't we end it there? No police, no trickery! Just you brats, me, and the graves I shall make for you! Then the Dark Kingdom will have no choice but to tell me where the Hizrounswa is! I'll give you until sundown to get there, and then...well, those usual spots will all be attacked. I don't think Serena would be stable enough to handle what will be coming her way if none of you show!" He laughed before disappearing.

"No, Rubeus," Serena said, trembling. "I'll show. Anything to keep my family and friends out of this!"

"Something seems off about this again," Casto said. He took out his Vulture Communicator and pressed a few buttons. "Artemis, are you there? It's Casto!"

"Yeah, Cas," Artemis answered. "What's going on?"

"Rubeus just challenged us to a fight on the same pier that I first met you guys at. It seems weird that he wants to go there again."

"I can tell Luna to inform the Sailors. We'll be there for sure."

"Thanks, but I need you to tell me something beforehand. Any information about the Hizrounswa's whereabouts?"

"Nothing yet. This is all too weird. Amy has a point. We know it's on Earth and we know it exists, but we haven't even gotten so much as a hint about its whereabouts. Something doesn't add up."

"Bro," Serena asked, "do you think..."

"We may have to be ready for anything, sis. Something tells me he's lying about needing the Dark Kingdom to tell him where that damned thing is."

"Hope to God you're wrong," Artemis interjected. "What was his time limit?"

"Sundown!"

"We'll meet you there at six. It should still be daylight then."

Casto nodded and closed his communicator. '_I hope I'm wrong, too._'

**-xXXXXx-**

Zoycite looked to be sure no one else was watching her before she approached the throne. It was empty apart from the thick purple tiara that sat there. Once she laid eyes on it, she stopped pacing and stared. She gave a heavy sigh as she picked it up and studied the jewelry.

She took another deep breath and dropped the hand holding the tiara at her side when Malachite beckoned from behind her, "You miss her, don't you?"

"Yes, my love. I already do. I know why she did it, but I don't think I can really accept it. I need her, Malachite."

He stepped towards her and put a hand on her shoulder. "You've come a long way from hating her guts."

"She hasn't been the same person." Zoycite pivoted on her heel quickly. "A lot of people got her wrong. She isn't a bad person. She just made some awful decisions based on what something pushed her to do."

"I know. To tell you the truth, I don't think there is such thing as good and evil people in the world. Just the decisions are good or evil."

"That's where I disagree with you, Malachite." She walked past him a few steps. "We've seen what true evil lies in Rubeus. He wants to shatter that damn thing. Would it really be that catastrophic if the Silver Crystal was destroyed?"

Malachite closed his eyes. "Nephlite told Jedite and I what Sailor Pluto showed him!"

"Sailor Pluto?"

"Some new Sailor that guards some Door of Time. That's what she told him. She showed him what the world would be like if events continue to run their course as they are now. Water would become contaminated and air would be polluted. Everything would be a mess. I don't want to see that world, either, and I think that was what really woke Beryl up."

"No, I disagree with you again. It wasn't just that. Beryl's been thinking about this for a while, I think. You told me how she acted when Rubeus was going after Reenie. She cares about that kid. She wants the child to survive, and then we were influenced because of her sudden compassion. Then some weird woman said that we don't have that right to show such compassion?"

Malachite looked to the empty throne. "No one other than her will tell me what to do. She was the only one I trusted." He then looked to Zoycite again, who was still with her back to him. "Zoycite, I'm going to follow her last order."

Zoycite suddenly turned to him. "What do you mean?"

"I'm going to go out there and see what the rest of the world has to offer me. I've already told Nephlite and Jedite what my decision is. I came here to look for you to tell you what I was thinking. But there's one problem."

"Yeah What would that be?"

"I need you to come with me."

Zoycite's eyes narrowed. "You do know that the Youmas will run rough shot all over this damn place with only two others here, right?"

"To hell with this place anymore. Rubeus is a king. The mere thought of having to serve that man makes me want to throw up. I think Nephlite and Jedite are going to do the same, too. Without a true queen to guide anyone, the Youmas will become mercenaries. They won't want to serve Rubeus as soon as they know what he's all about."

"I don't know about that, Malachite. They care even less of what happens to this world."

"Come with me, then, Zoycite! I need you!"

Zoycite pivoted again. "No, I can't! Not yet, anyway."

"You mean you want to stay here by yourself?"

"Someone has to make sure Beryl's dream of the North Pole Kingdom stays here, right?"

"Whatever dream is here is gone now. All that's left is this gloomy place. I want to go and live my life. That's what she ordered us to do, and I'm going to go do that."

"And I want to live out my life, too!" She walked towards the throne chair. "I had a dream as a child that one day, I would become a queen myself. I wanted to be the same person that Beryl once was. I remembered when she was one of the most beloved queens in the solar system. She isn't changing, Malachite. This is how she always was. She just got so tangled up in these lies that Metaria told her. I want to make sure that her place is protected, and I want to live out my life by taking over as the queen of this kingdom. Metaria needs to be checked, and I want to make sure that she doesn't win!"

"She's already won, Zoycite," Malachite growled. "She gave Rubeus the Hizrounswa. God knows what else he has planned with it besides shattering the Silver Crystal."

"Then someone has to be here to make sure that doesn't happen!"

"You're making a grave mistake, Zoycite! You're going to be here alone, with those two maniacs wanting nothing more than to drain this planet of its life."

"When have I not made tough decisions, Malachite?"

"There's a difference between being brave and being stupid, and you're being stupid right now!"

"And _what if I am_?" she screamed. "I'm not going anywhere. I want to live by protecting my friends. That's what I'm destined to do!"

"That's the stupidest destiny that I've ever heard! I can't believe you would want to stay here and be a sitting duck! I can't believe you would be so damn selfish!"

Zoycite turned back angrily. "Don't you dare say that I'm being selfish, Malachite!"

"But you are, Zoycite! Look at what you're doing! You're taking this time to just assume some petty role as queen so you can live out your childhood dream!"

"This isn't selfish, Malachite! She has been nothing but an angel to me, and I owe this to her! I can't believe that you won't understand this!"

"I do understand it, Rachel!"

"_What _did you just call me?"

"Rachel! Rachel Zoytai!"

"It's Zoycite!"

"It isn't working, Rachel! You know damn well that you are being selfish!"

Zoycite's hand trembled, but she couldn't express any more anger and began to shed tears. "I want to protect her. I love her! She's been though too much!"

"She's giving you a chance, and you won't take it."

"I'm sorry if it does sound selfish, but it's something that I owe her. She trusted me with her darkest secrets, and I want to let her know how much I appreciate that."

"The best way is to follow her orders and get out of here."

"Her legacy has always been the North Pole Kingdom. It was never supposed to be like this. She was never supposed to suffer like this."

"I'm glad she has comfort in you, but I don't want her to lose someone that she trusts over something so dumb. I don't want to lose you, either. Rachel, I love you. I don't want to lose you, and I don't want to go if you won't go."

Zoycite wiped away a tear. "No, Adam! Don't be like that. You told me you thought I was being selfish, but if it's something you want to do, then go. Don't let me stop you. I can handle myself here. If it becomes too dangerous for me to stay, then I will find you again. But she did something that she needed to do, and this is something that I have to do. Not only for me, but for her. I'm sorry if I'm selfish, and I know it sounds like I am, but if you love me as much as you say you do, then let me have the opportunity to show these assholes how much I hate them."

"Well..."

"Malachite," Nephlite said as he suddenly appeared in front of him, "bad news. All of the Youmas are roaming around the North Pole. I think they're trying to look for Beryl to kill her."

"No!" Zoycite gasped. "If they do anything to her..."

"The only good news is that I don't think she's on the North Pole anymore. But it will only be a matter of time before they realize that and search elsewhere."

"Or come back here and kill the rest of us," Malachite growled. "Nephlite, she isn't going."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm staying here," Zoycite answered. "I owe it to her to stay here and protect this place for her."

"But what is there to protect? You know it's a lost cause."

"Not exactly, Nephlite. Along with what I told Adam, if there is someone who will know what those two are doing, then maybe I can do something to stop them from here."

"It's way too risky, I think. But as long as you know the risks, I won't stop you. I don't know about your boyfriend, but I won't do anything. I'm going to stay here a bit longer, too."

"No, Eric!" Malachite pleaded.

"I have to, Adam! I want to get all the data from the terminal system onto an optical disc before I get going. It may prove useful someday."

"We have that technology?" Zoycite asked.

"Yes. I just realized we did, and I think I have a few spare discs to get the data onto. It'll take some time, though. Probably a few days, which is why I can't leave just yet. I want to make sure I've got all I can get. But I promise you, once I've got everything, I'm out of here."

"I'll weigh my options when that happens, Eric. Adam, go ahead and get going. I promise you, I'll be careful. I love you, too."

Malachite walked up to Zoycite, and the two shared a deep, passionate kiss that lasted several moments, though it wasn't long enough for them. Zoycite felt a tear leaving each eye as they kissed, and Malachite pulled his cape over her. After their lips broke away, he released her from his cape and vanished.

"You can leave if you want. You don't have to overdo it to have me forgive you."

"Eric, are the terminals still able to contact the Youmas?"

"Yes."

"My first order to you as the interim queen of the Dark Kingdom is to show me to a terminal where we won't draw suspicion from Metaria."

"Why's that?"

Zoycite walked over to Nephlite and smirked. "If I declare myself as the new queen, and order them to cease their search, it will at least throw off the chain of command a bit and buy us some time."

"You mean confuse them."

"They think that Beryl's absence means that they only have to answer to people who will let them do whatever they want. We'll call off the search, and then get to downloading that data." Zoycite collapsed in the chair. She reached to her hair restraint and removed it. The pony tail had now morphed into curled hair that came down to the small of her back. After throwing away the restraint, she took each of her white gloves and removed them. She also tossed them away before sighing deeply. "I'm going to regret making this decision, Nephlite."

"At least you won't have to go it alone, Rach."

"Are we using our real names now?"

"If you want!"

"Just refer to me as Queen Zoycite while I talk to them so they don't get suspicious. We'll let them know the transfer of power and then give the order." Nephlite nodded as she rose to her feet. "Alright, here goes nothing!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Reenie had walked into Sammy's room, though she expected him to be on the bed resting his leg. Instead, he was limping on the healing leg. He made circles in his room.

"Sammy, what in the world are you doing?"

"Getting ready for tomorrow."

She walked to him and put her arms around him. It forced him to stop in his tracks. "No, don't! I'll feel guiltier than I already do."

"You don't have to, Reenie."

"But I do. I have to leave you tomorrow, and I'm forcing you to have to accept your mother's help before you're ready. I know you hate her and all, and I don't want to have to see you be upset because of me not being here."

"I don't even know if it's hate for her anymore. But still, I can't be in that bed forever. I can't keep depending on everyone to do things for me."

"No one's saying you are. So many take advantage of this kind of help. But you're trying too hard to be independent when you shouldn't be."

Sammy closed his eyes tightly. "I don't know what this is, Reenie. I want to forgive her. It's not like I enjoy hating her. I want to trust her again."

"What's stopping you?"

"I think it's the fear that I told you I have last night. That it will happen again and no one will be here to stop it."

"It's more of you not knowing if you can trust her to learn from her mistake."

"I think."

Reenie helped Sammy back to his bed and made him lay down. "Listen, I know it's tough for you to do. We've been saying this to you for the past week or so, and it's true."

"I heard you and Casto talking earlier today."

Trying to hide her shock, Reenie continued, "I didn't want you to think that I don't want to help you."

"No, I understand. It's really tough to know who to devote your time to when they both need you."

"Yeah, and Luna told me that Rubeus wants to fight us at the pier tonight. We don't know what's going on with this, but everyone is going. I want to fight him, too."

"Then go."

Reenie's eyes narrowed. "Huh?"

"It'll give me time to talk to my mother. Maybe it's just that I refuse to listen. If he's going there, then you should go and put a stop to who did this to me. I want my revenge so bad, but I can't do it because I don't have the skills that you have."

She smiled as she jumped off the bed. "I'll cut his lip with my foot for you! Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

The pink hearts and lasers shot out of her brooch and then came in on her entire body. They transformed her into Sailor Mini Moon on the spot and in about three seconds.

"Sammy," she said, "don't strain yourself too much. I will return. You know how to get in touch with us if you're in any danger, okay?"

Sammy nodded as he looked towards his nightstand. It had a small mechanism with a red button on it. He remembered who had given it to him and what it would do should he need the assistance. "Go get 'em, Reenie!"

Mini smiled as she went out the door. She scampered down the steps and out of the house as she began her trek to the pier.

**-xXXXXx-**

The sun was just beginning to set on Juuban, but the Sailors had gotten past the perimeter fence that encased the abandoned pier. Rubeus had yet to be seen.

"You think this was a trap to get us away from our families?" Mars asked. "I know Serena's family has been targeted, but that doesn't mean he can't do anything to any of ours."

"I doubt it, Mars," Mercury answered. "Even if it was, I don't think it would work out for him as well. Remember, he's more or less trying to get Sailor Moon to crack. She's not as used to having to channel such hatred. Some of us are more experienced with dealing with it than others."

"That's what worries me about this," Jupiter said. "Rubeus has a way of getting to all of us. He isn't stupid, I know that."

"And that scares me even more," Luna added. "Artemis, you never found where that death crystal was at?"

"Not a clue."

"He said something about this fight proving himself to the Dark Kingdom," Vulture said. "He wants them to tell him where the Hizrounswa is, though he said that too openly."

"Someone in the Dark Kingdom knows where it is, I bet," Artemis continued, "but won't tell him."

"Queen Beryl must know where it is, which means he wants to impress her in some way," Venus added. "Speaking of which, Serena, why isn't Darien with us?"

"Because," Moon answered, "I told him to stay behind for about an hour and then come. Bro was talking about this being a trap, so he'll spring it before then. Want to make sure we have a back-up plan."

"It's so we have the upper hand at all times," Vulture added. "We both agreed that it would be good to have Tux come in later."

However, standing on one of the rooftops, behind an air conditioning unit, was Rubeus with a heavy-set figure. The latter had a face of a clown and a cloud white body. His torso was round like a balloon.

"Okay," Rubeus whispered, "you heard them. You know what to do, right?"

"Certainly," the squeaky voice of the Youma answered. "Make sure Tuxxy Boy doesn't make it here."

"Not exactly, Polyer. Wait for him to start coming here, and then intercept him. Don't make your move until he makes his."

"Don't worry, boss. Consider it already done." Polyer disappeared, leaving Rubeus to watch as the Sailors came to the clerk desk.

"It starts here, and it will end here," Rubeus said to himself as he took out the Hizrounswa. "They will know soon enough what death is like!" He put the Death Crystal securely into a pocket of his pants and turned to where the Sailors were.

"Nothing yet," Vulture said as his back was towards a three story office building. "Maybe he decided to chicken out on...AHH!"

The Sailors turned around to see him face down on the ground with his arm bracing his back.

"I am not chickening out, Vulture Amateur!" Rubeus screamed as he appeared in front of the building. "Though I have to admit, I didn't think you would show up here."

"Why wouldn't we, Rubeus?" Moon growled as she removed her Tiara.

"The threat against your family, maybe. You care more about them than this world!"

"That's not fair," Mars yelled. "We all care for everyone in this world, especially our family and friends. You think we would ever abandon them?"

"You guys did to come here!"

"You make no sense, man," Vulture growled as he got back to his feet. "I'm starting to think you just make things up as you go along!"

"Oh, I have a plan, and that is to take you six out!"

Rubeus outstretched his hands and fired a gravity wave that pushed all of the Sailors back a few feet. They tried to brace the impact of the wave.

"Damn, this is much stronger than I remember," Vulture quipped. "Good thing I've got the tools for this." As he had his arms in an "X", he was ready to strike. "Vulture! Attack!" The shadow vulture was able to fly through the wave and hit Rubeus' hands, making him cease his gravity attack.

"Mercury Bubbles Blast!" The fog that was created made Rubeus' stance widen and his glance narrow.

"Yeah, right," he smirked. "Like some fog is going to stop me."

"Maybe this will, Rubeus," Mercury yelled before kicking him in the gut, making him reel back. "_That's_ for the pod!"

Rubeus rolled backwards and got back to his feet. "You've gotten feistier! No matter. Taste this!" He fired a lightning beam, which Mercury jumped out of the way of.

"Mars Fire Soul! Ignite!" Rubeus heard Mars scream, as a fireball went straight for him. He quickly lunged out of the way and fired a beam at her.

However, Jupiter flipped off of one of the cranes and kicked him in the stomach, which made him fall onto his back.

"Venus Love Chain! Encircle!" Rubeus felt a magical chain tie up his ankles as Venus smirked. "Sailor Moon, time to end this!"

Moon readied her Scepter and closed her eyes. "This is for every single one of my loved ones whose lives you chose to ruin to get to me! Moon Scepter..."

Rubeus, though, was digging into his pocket. '_You think it's that easy, Sailors? Time to pay the piper!_'

Before Moon could finish her attack, she was struck by a black beam. The beam was so powerful that it knocked her backwards. She collided with a pole and lost her Scepter.

"What the hell?" Luna screamed before looking at Rubeus' hand. He had a shiny, black, six-sided crystal in his grasp. "Oh, my God, that's gotta be the Hizrounswa!"

"You're a smart one, you stupid furball!" Rubeus aimed the crystal at her and fired straight at Luna. She jumped out of the way, but not before he fired a wave shot from the crystal right at her and whoever was nearby. Artemis also was in the path, and they both got knocked back into a building.

"_Luna_!" Moon screeched.

"Shut _up_!" Rubeus fired another shot at Moon, which connected and made her cry out again. "And that's only level one. My God, what a beast of a weapon. And it's all mine!" He saw Vulture out of the corner of his eye as he turned back towards the bay. He fired the crystal's wave weapon and made not only Vulture drop, but also Venus and Jupiter.

"They were right about...it," Vulture struggled to say. "My power! It feels like it's going to explode within me!"

"I can't...move," Jupiter said through gritted teeth as Rubeus continued to fire the wave.

"Leave them alone!" Mars screamed. "Mars Celestial Fire! Surround!"

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

The two powers combined to create a molten lightning beam. However, Rubeus smirked, turned around the crystal, and fired the level four version of the beam at the lightning. It completely dissipated the power and continued to fire, hitting both Jupiter and Mars in one shot. Rubeus only smiled at the results. "I didn't know the beam could do double duty."

Moon, though, was using this time in order to call Darien, who she had on her communicator. "Darien, he has it! He...has the Hizrounswa! We're in..."

"I told you to shut the hell up!" Rubeus screamed as he fired level three of the wave, which caught all of the Sailors and made them wince and brace themselves to try to withstand it.

"It's too powerful!" Venus concluded.

"The hell...is this?" Mars shrieked.

"This is the power of the Hizrounswa," Rubeus grinned as he paced towards the ailing group. He stopped, though, and looked over at the equally ailing Luna and Artemis. He put the crystal back into his pocket, walked over to them, and grabbed them by the loose skin on their backs. "Here, you can join them!" He threw both cats into the crane, their bodies hitting the Plexiglas windshield of it and dropping onto the ground near Jupiter.

"Now that I have all of you right where I want you, how about I slow down your deaths a bit?" he continued. "Level two. Just enough so I can watch and listen to you die slowly. I want to hear your screams for mercy!" He fired the wave weapon of the Hizrounswa, which caught the entire group. They felt themselves struggle to do anything to counter the weapon's strength.

Vulture tried to get back to his feet. He soon was able to and he crossed his arms. "Don't...you...dare! Vulture..."

Rubeus ceased the wave and turned the weapon, immediately firing a straight beam right at him. The force of it made him fly close to the water, on one of the yellow rope poles. "That was level four! You defy your death again, and you will feel what level six is!"

Vulture was nearly unconscious as Rubeus went back to firing the level two wave at the Sailors. He paced forward as he continued to hear the grunts of all of his victims.

"You want to defy me? Try it! I dare you!"

"You want to fight like a man instead, coward?" Rubeus heard a familiar child's voice ring out from the perimeter fence. Rubeus looked over to see Sailor Mini Moon standing at the fence door.

"Oh, this is so perfect! Reenie is here, and now it's time for the ultimate battle to begin. I should demonstrate level six to all of them on you!"

"No...Reenie..." Moon said weakly. "Don't let him...do it!"

"Reenie, don't...get involved in..." Mars added.

**-xXXXXx-**

Tuxedo Mask had been running for a good few minutes now. He had no time to lose as he sprinted around pedestrians and traffic to try to get to the pier. He was thankful that the sun had set and would not impede his progress any further. He only looked to the reddish-orange sky as he continued to pant towards the pier.

'_I hope I'm not too late. My God, he has it! Who had it, and who let him put his hands on it?_'

He turned a corner onto a closed street. There would be no obstruction here, he hoped. At least not on the sidewalk. There were only a few road work vehicles around, and their operators were long gone. He raced as fast as his legs would let him down what seemed like a never-ending street.

Halfway down the length of the road, however, he suddenly got hit in the back and rolled over by a huge white object. The interruption turned out to be Polyer, who stopped himself and stood up to face Mask.

"I can't let you go," the squeaky Polyer proclaimed. "Boss wants to play!"

"You must! He's going to destroy everything if I can't stop him! My friends, my love, are all in danger!"

"Destruction! Pain! Yippee!" Polyer jumped and clapped. He then extended both his arms like rubber bands to punch Mask in the face, but he jumped out of the way and threw two roses. Polyer, however, saw them and shot out a steady stream of fire from his mouth to disintegrate the roses.

"You don't understand," Mask pleaded. "He's using you! He'll kill you when he thinks he's done with your usefulness!"

"Boss just wants to play! He promised me big playground! Play forever! Hear screams! See death! Big joy!"

'_His mind is like a child's. He can't comprehend anything I'm telling him._'

Polyer turned on his side and rolled his body towards Mask again, only this time firing off lasers from all over his torso as he rotated. Mask tried to dodge them, but was hit by two lasers in a row as he was at the peak of a jump. He fell to the ground on his stomach as he was then rolled over twice, Polyer having retraced his path before getting back to his feet.

"King Rubeus promised playtime forever!"

'_King Rubeus?_'

"It will be fun!"

Tuxedo Mask was having trouble trying to get to his feet. His back had taken a toll from the rolling, and there was no use getting through to Polyer.

However, neither he nor Mask noticed that a tall figure had come up about twenty feet from them, behind Polyer. The female stood there as she planted her feet at a fighting stance.

"I want to play! I want you to scream! It's fun to scream!"

The female, in a bold, raspy voice, yelled, "Then why don't _you_?"

Mask couldn't react to the voice fast enough, as he saw a large, dark crystal-like object shoot through Polyer. Dark beams resonated from his body, and the clown Youma screamed, "No, mommy! How could you do this to me, mommy?" It was the last thing he said before his dark soul plunged out and evaporated with him.

Mask caught sight of the female figure with his widened eyes as she began walking towards him. "You gotta be kidding me. You would..."

"No," the female said. "I'm not here for you. Tell me, where were you headed?"

"Towards the abandoned pier."

"Let me go in your place. You're injured." "But she's expecting me. They all..."

"I'll let them know what I told you. Besides, there's something I must do. Go back to your apartment and get some rest. I've got this." Mask jaw dropped as he slowly returned to his feet. "But you're..."

"Just trust me!"

"I don't know, but...all right! Do what you have to do. I hope I'm not making a bad decision by trusting you."

"I know what he wants to do with that damned thing! I would have an advantage you don't have. I need to talk to them, as well. I'll tell you everything, but not now. Get some rest; we'll talk more later." She wasted no more words as she raced off towards the pier.

'_No,_' he thought, '_it couldn't be her that saved me._'

**-xXXXXx-**

"You've got some nerve, Reenie," Rubeus growled as he turned the Hizrounswa.

"Do not hurt my friends or my family," Mini Moon ordered from the fence door. "This is your only warning!"

"Oh, I think I would have much more fun with you, Reenie! Do you know how much you've done to me over the past week? If it wasn't for you, Ikuko would still be mine! You ruined my plans, and now, I shall ruin you!"

"You lay a finger on her, Rubeus," Moon growled through her pain, "and I swear to God I'll..."

"What, kill me?" Rubeus said as he turned his head to her. "You can't even do _that_ right, yet you keep saying you will as if you..."

He suddenly was interrupted by a jumping kick to his mouth, which sent him back a few steps. He never got a chance to counter as he felt two punches to his abdomen. While he kept hold of his crystal, he experienced a hard time doing so as he continued to get punched in the stomach by Mini Moon.

"Now," Mini said, "what were you saying about using that thing on me?" She jumped up and grabbed the arm that held the Hizrounswa, using her legs to grip it in a scissor hold before hanging upside down and using a handstand to flip him over onto his back. She still had a vice grip on his arm, and saw his hand holding the crystal. She smirked at him before beginning, "Pink Sugar Heart..."

Rubeus, however, quickly shot the crystal beam at Mini Moon, making her skid off of him and into a fence that enclosed the claim check building next to the Sailors. He got back to his feet, switched the Hizrounswa to his other hand, and waved his arm up and down.

"_Reenie_!" Moon shouted. "Rubeus, you slime!"

"That was also level four, Reenie." Rubeus smiled. "You should consider yourself very lucky, because I didn't know what level that was until I fired it. Too bad now I know what I'm firing." He brought the crystal to his eyes as he grinned wider. "Just look at it. _You_ can't tell what side is what level, but _I_ can tell perfectly just by looking. I know what to do with it at all times, and how to hold it. The knowledge comes just by touching it for the first time. I especially know what this next level will be, Reenie! Level six!"

"Oh God, no," Vulture cried.

"Shut up, Vulture Amateur! In case you forgot, you were hit with a continuous blast of the crystal. You idiots don't seem to have enough strength left to even get to your feet, let alone stop me!" He turned to Reenie and pointed the darkest side of the crystal at her and began to squeeze down on the two pointed ends. "You will pay for your treacherous deeds, child! I don't care whose daughter you are now. After I get done with you, that crystal is all mine!"

"There's no way we can stop him," Jupiter gritted. "I still can't move!"

"I can't, either," Mars said. "My body's burning up!"

Rubeus kept his smirk as he pressed down, a hard aura of light engulfing the Hizrounswa. Mini Moon was attempting to get back to her feet when she saw the crystal begin to charge up. She finally stood just as he was ready to fire.

However, he would never get that chance, as he suddenly felt a sharp pain hit his wrist. The blow was enough to make him drop the Hizrounswa, the crystal flying out of his hands and to the wall of the office building.

"What the hell? Tuxxy Boy got away from..." He was interrupted by the sound of a crystal shattering. It wasn't the Hizrounswa, and for that he counted his blessings. However, he found a larger crystal shattered as the pieces turned black and vanished. "No, that isn't Tuxxy."

"No damn way!" Jupiter gasped as her eyes widened.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Mercury added.

Rubeus turned back to the direction that the attack had come from. He caught sight of a female figure before him. He first saw her feet, but as his eyes traveled up to her face, his shock became without a rival. It was a woman with long red hair and a purple dress who had attacked him, and it was a woman he knew too well. All that was different was that her eyes, which were now without the yellow tint that he was used to seeing, had narrowed, and her body was trembling. Not to mention that a certain piece of jewelry was absent from her temple.

"So," he softly growled, "it's finally happened. I knew Queen Metaria was correct. Queen Beryl has betrayed her own damn kingdom. Not like no one saw it coming!"

"It's her!" Moon said as her jaw dropped.

"Rubeus," the woman who was indeed Queen Beryl growled as she approached him, "you're the one who betrayed me. I told you if you went behind my back and went after the child, I would kill you!"

"Yeah, whatever you say, Queen Bitch! Just you wait until Metaria hears about this. She'll kill you when you get back!"

"I'm not going back! My home is here, not some rundown shell of what my kingdom used to be!"

"Please tell me I'm just dreaming this," Vulture pleaded.

"I'm afraid not," Luna answered.

"I've made a decision, Rubeus. I'm no longer the queen of the Dark Kingdom, and it's by my choice. I've also told my Generals to not serve you. All you have is that wretch Metaria and whatever Youmas you've brainwashed."

Rubeus stopped backing up and clenched his fists. "You know, on second thought, I was always waiting for this day. The legend becomes undeserving of that title. Legends can lie, and they can also _die_!"

He fired two quick beams at Beryl, but she dodged them quickly, spun around and leveled him with a kick to the face. Rubeus quickly rolled backwards to his feet and tried a double-shot beam. This time, Beryl interrupted his blast with a shadow beam of her own that came out of her hand.

"How can you still use your magic without your tiara?" Rubeus yelled.

"It only keeps me from using the magic Metaria gave me. I still have my shadow magic, and I will not hesitate to use it if I have to."

"Won't be for long!" Rubeus charged with a straight fist. Beryl ducked out of the way, though he quickly detected the motion and tried to catch her with a hook from the opposite hand. She grabbed it out of the air and struggled to keep him from finishing his movement.

"Reenie," Beryl yelled, "grab it, now!"

Mini Moon, not knowing who this woman was other than one who had just saved her life, nodded and raced towards the Hizrounswa as best she could.

"Ah, no you don't, you brat!" Rubeus used his other hand to fire a bolt of black lightning at her. It connected and sent her flying near Luna.

Rubeus kneed Beryl in the gut, which made her lose her hold on his hand. He flipped over her and towards the Hizrounswa as he swiped it back up off the ground. "You know, maybe I should wait to kill all of you!" he laughed. "There might be a little entertainment in that. Queen Beryl, attacking a king. Just like she did when she attacked a queen and leveled the Moon Kingdom! What a shame that a legend has been reduced to...well, _this_. Enjoy your so-called freedom while it lasts, Beryl. I'll make sure you won't live long enough to see much of it. That is, unless you dig your own grave by coming back to the Dark Kingdom after I off your friends!" He disappeared as he cackled. Beryl growled, having shot a beam in his direction.

"I...don't know, Sailors," Venus said.

"I don't sense anything negative right now on her," Artemis added. "Though those attacks may have screwed around with me, too."

"You guys going to be alright?" Beryl asked, turning to the Sailors.

"Yeah," Moon answered, climbing back to her feet. "But why do you...?"

"Rubeus wants to shatter the Silver Crystal, and if he does that, it'll be catastrophic."

"Was it you, though?" Luna asked. "Was it you who gave it to him?"

"Hell no! I would never give some disgusting piece of shit like him that cursed thing! It was Metaria! She's the one who's been orchestrating everything in the Dark Kingdom. She's been using me and my kingdom for her own gain, and..." She hissed as she raced to the wooden planks that overlooked the bay. "I'm sorry, Sailors. No words I can say could possibly express the regret I've held for the things I've done. I started this mess because I put my trust into her out of pure anger. I will never do that again. I won't be used as some damn tool for someone to use."

The Sailors were all able to get back to their feet as Beryl turned back to the group. "I see you all are recovering from the attacks rather quickly. It's a good sign," she paused as she hung her head, "but I don't know if that will be enough. I'm scared of what he has planned."

"You're the one who helped her achieve her goal, though," Mercury said.

"I know, Sailor Mercury, and it sickens me to have to live with that scar on my conscious." Beryl turned back to the dimly-lit sky. "I would like to help you out against him. I have no plans to return. I knew I wouldn't be able to transport back there once I left without my tiara. I know more about my kingdom than I think any one of you ever could. If I can lend my power and my knowledge to you, maybe it will be enough to stop him before he succeeds in destroying Sailor Moon's crystal."

"But we can't trust you," Mars objected. "After everything you've done to us, you just expect us to put all of our trust into someone who leveled the Moon Kingdom? Thanks, but no thanks!"

"I know it's tough, and I am not asking you for that kind of showing of trust. I want to earn it, not force it."

"I don't think you will even be able to..."

"Wait, Sailor Mars," Vulture interrupted. "Beryl, I'm sure we could use your experience, but you must understand that you have a lot of sins to repent for, and you've burned so many bridges."

"Hopefully I haven't burned them all just yet."

"How about you answer us about where Tuxedo Mask is," Moon said. "I called him to tell him a half hour ago."

"He was attacked. Polyer got him."

"Oh, my God!"

"Rubeus made sure he had his bases covered. Polyer struck him with all he had, but he'll be alright. I took care of the Youma and told Tuxedo Mask to get some rest while I faced Rubeus. Hopefully he went back to his apartment like I asked him to."

"Artemis," Jupiter asked, "is she lying to us?"

"I don't feel anything that would make me suspicious," he answered.

A deep sigh escaped Beryl. "I think I know how to prove to you that I'm telling the truth." She turned to Moon. "Serena, I need to see your tiara for a moment."

A heavy gasp escaped Luna. "Sailor Moon, don't give it to her! I knew it!

" Mars' eyes nearly came out of their sockets. "She's trying to get one of your main weapons to use against..."

"Sure, Beryl," Moon interrupted. She grabbed her tiara from her forehead and gently handed it to Beryl, who nodded slightly as she took it.

"No, Sailor Moon," Luna yelled. "I can't believe you would..."

"Luna!" Vulture scolded. "Enough! There's nine of us and one of her!"

"What is she doing, though?" Venus whispered.

"It's the reason why I yelled at Luna just now," Vulture answered. "I think I know what she's doing. Just watch."

Beryl stood right on the edge of the center plank as she ignored all the bickering. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. With the tiara in her left hand, she brought her right hand to her long red hair. She bunched it together at her neck and held it tightly. Another breath was taken as she began to take her right hand that held Moon's tiara to her hair. She paused, opening her eyes for a few seconds to let a few tears come out before closing them again. Going very slowly, she began to use the tiara to cut her hair, each strand hacked to neck level. The Sailors could hear every slice as Beryl continued to cut her hair. It took about thirty seconds, but Beryl was finally able to cut through all of her locks. She held the tiara still in her right hand, though she laid it behind her before turning back to the water, and the now night sky.

"She just cut...her hair?" Sailor Venus quietly asked.

"More than that," Casto answered. "It's a symbol of female royalty cutting off their past. The fact that she's doing so now..."

One more heavy sigh was heard as Beryl held the strands of hair to her eyes. Tears of anger and frustration flowed down her face, with her body trembling. She held her eyes closed tightly one more time before shooting them open. She inhaled as much breath as she could, and with all the strength she had and letting out a loud cry, she hurled the strands towards the water, making sure she was rid of every last strand. The wind carried the dead hair over the bay as Beryl wiped away the tears. She then turned and retrieved Sailor Moon's tiara. She looked over the various expressions of shock and disbelief as she walked to Moon, spinning the tiara on two of her fingers once before handing it back to its owner.

"There," Beryl said as Moon retrieved her tiara. "Now I'm ready to begin a new life." She began to walk away from the group.

"Queen Beryl..." Moon began to call out.

"No, please don't ever call me that again. My name's Melissa Beryl."

"Well, Melissa, when will we see you again?"

"Real soon, I hope!" she answered. She stopped walking and turned to Mini Moon, who was only standing in shock at the events. "And Reenie?"

"Huh?" Mini asked as she looked over at Melissa.

"Your guardian angel thanks you."

Her jaw nearly dropped to the ground, with gasps escaping all the Sailors. Melissa smiled brightly and continued to walk out of the pier.

'_You're wrong, Rubeus,_' Melissa thought. '_I'm no legend. Yes, I do want to be, but I want it to be for the right reasons. Sailor Moon, you will see me again, and this time, it won't be as an enemy._'

Sailor Moon looked to the red gem in her tiara and let out a small smile. '_Melissa, it will be a long and difficult road for you. You must earn our trust, but you saved Reenie, and you helped Darien. If it weren't for you, Reenie would be dead right now. It's going to take a long time to earn their trust...but you just earned mine._'

* * *

Thanks for reading, and I hope you join me for the next chapter. It's only the beginning.

Good night and good luck.


	7. Rebirth

WAR GAMES  
CHAPTER 7  
Rebirth

Written by Darkpower  
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)

* * *

Rubeus had returned to the Dark Kingdom within the Youma holding room. He was expecting the room to be empty, but instead found that all of the Youma had returned from their search for Queen Beryl.

"What the hell?" he asked. "What are all of you doing here? I thought you were searching for Beryl like I asked you to."

"We were," said one Youma, "but we got a sudden call from a Queen Zoycite telling all of us to cease..."

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Queen Zoycite?"

"Yeah. We just decided to come back here until we could find out what was going on. Everyone was so confused about who was really in charge, so we wanted to make sure before we continued. We never know what kind of powers the person in charge has, so we wanted to make sure she didn't have a reason to use them."

"But you know who Zoycite is and what she can do!"

"She also holds Beryl's tiara."

Rubeus anger became concern. "Yes, I see your issue now. Metaria gave Beryl so much power from that tiara. If Zoycite has it and she knows how to use it, then you guys made the right decision not to anger her in any way. But I thank you for making me aware of the situation. I am calling off the search anyway. I know where she is, and that's the reason we now have a Code Red!"

Ambient noise was heard amongst the Youma, with questions of what the Code Red was about echoing across the room.

"We've never had a Code Red before in the Dark Kingdom!"

"We do now. Queen Beryl has betrayed the Kingdom and has sworn to assist the Sailors. She has turned her back on you, me, and Queen Metaria!"

"Sir," said a baritone Youma from the back of the room, "I always knew she would do so at some point." He pushed his way to the front of the room. He was a tall and muscular being with long charcoal hair and beet-red skin, and his crooked eyes were laid onto Rubeus as he continued, "I never trusted her, and I think I speak for all of us here when I say that we didn't like her in any way." The murmurs of the agreeing Youma once more reverberated.

"So you should be aware that this Queen Zoycite is Beryl's most trusted ally, right?"

"Yes, I was aware, and I wanted to continue the search. This other person was right, though. We couldn't risk her using that power on any of us. Even we are unsure about what she holds over us with that pathetic piece of jewelry."

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen again. If it does for some reason, then you guys must first inform me of the situation. You only take orders from me and Metaria. You ignore anyone else. Is that clear?" The Youmas nodded. "Also, remember what I hold now." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Hizrounswa. "This simple crystal is what separates me and her. All I have to do is to fire this thing at her, and she's as good as dead."

"But boss, it looks like you could break that thing with how tightly you're holding it."

"Yes," Rubeus pondered, "you're correct. It'll be a bitch to carry around like this." He put his hand to his chin for a moment before calling out, "Drillbit!"

A short but heavy Youma with a drill for a left hand came forward. "What do you need?"

"Construct me some sort of gun. Something that I can use this Hizrounswa in. How about a gun where all I have to do is to select the level and then pull a trigger? Can you do that?"

"I've already got the image of your crystal in my head, Lord Rubeus. I'll get started on it right away!" He disappeared.

"Now, you, mister..."

"Eruptor!" the red-skinned Youma answered.

"Okay, Eruptor, how would you like to be the Youma who was able to show to your former master how to really make history?"

"Can I kill her?"

"I don't know if I have the clearance yet, but if I don't, you could kind of...make sure she's in the crossfire, in a way."

Eruptor smiled. "Of course, Rubeus!"

**-xXXXXx-**

There was a loft that stood several stories tall on a busy street in Juuban. It was a road that would lead right to the heart of Tokyo, but that didn't matter for a tenant of the blue building. On the balcony of one of the apartments, up on the fifth floor, a tall woman with short red locks looked upon the busy morning commute. Cars were humming with horns blaring, children were rushing to school in a noisy frenzy, and the morning sun was beaming onto the city. She had never seen anything like this. For the first time in such a long time, if not ever, she was watching life happen before her eyes. A small smile escaped as she made her way through the sliding door and back into her small abode.

This was also a first. A bedroom that actually had carpeting. It was blue, but it would have to do for now. She didn't have to pay too much for this place, and what a bargain she had gotten for it. It was furnished, though she could've found better things to fill it with. She had a small three-drawer brown dresser, an oak twin bed, a few pictures that she couldn't make out on the white walls, and a kitchen in the next room. It wasn't much, but she wasn't looking for anything glamorous; at least, not yet. In fact, she couldn't even get any other clothes. All she had was that long purple dress she had worn the night before, and that was somewhat torn from her fight last night.

As she looked to the dress that lay in a heap on the floor, thoughts of what had transpired danced in her head. "_'I've made a decision, Rubeus. I'm no longer Queen of the Dark Kingdom, and it's by my choice. I've also told my Generals not to serve you. All you have is that wretch Metaria and whatever Youmas you've brainwashed.'_" She also recalled slicing her own hair and throwing it towards the Tokyo Bay. Her past must be sleeping with the fishes by now. She did like that she didn't have to carry around all that extra weight. Short hair could accommodate her for now, maybe even in the future. She didn't know how she had done it, but the cut was in a perfect line.

She exhaled deeply and threw herself onto the bed, sitting Indian-style. She looked towards the dresser. On it was a very familiar photo of her family and herself smiling for the camera, one day before their fatal collision. Shedding a tear, Melissa Beryl shook her head. "Only thing is, where do I go from here? I'm so surprised that Sailor Moon trusted me with her tiara. I didn't think she would. I guess it's like I heard Queen Serenity say about her to Endymion. She is so forgiving. I don't know if she could ever forgive me for what I did to the Moon Kingdom. Hell, I don't even think she should...no, I take that back. I would love her to, but...ugh, I don't even know what to think." She hung her head. "I wish I had your guidance when she was offering her crooked deals to me. I could've refused them. I could've been stronger." She once more looked to the frame. "Mom, dad, I love you!"

**-xXXXXx-**

"It's a good thing I'm not going to be that far away from where you guys are," Reenie said as Casto and Serena accompanied her to the front of the Juuban Municipal Primary School. "I just hope Sammy's going to be alright with me not being there."

Serena knelt down next to Reenie. "I'm sure he will be. I heard he was doing a lot better now."

"He was trying to walk around to get his leg better last night because he thought he would have to fend for himself today."

"Ugh," Casto exclaimed. "He's taking such a long time to come around. If it's just anger that is making him hate his mother, then it's taking a long time. I thought it would be normal, but she's doing everything in her power to let him know it was a mistake. I'm starting to worry that it's something more than Rubeus' attack."

"I hope I can get to him and find out. He said it was alright for me to go and help you guys last night. He said that it would give him a chance to talk to his mom. I don't know if he did or not."

Serena would've commented if it weren't for Reenie's reminder about last night. She took a deep breath. "Reenie, you're not worried about what else happened last night, are you?"

"Why should I be? The guardian angel saved all of us. Why should I be worried? Rubeus has the crystal, I know. But it's not like we're going to let him use it. Anyway, I gotta go. I love ya, guys." She sped off into the building.

"We should get going, too, sis," Casto proclaimed. "We'll be late."

Serena was slow to get back to her feet. "Guardian angel? Still can't get over that."

"She said something about that when we battled Hammerthor. Never even considered it."

They began walking to school, which was only a few blocks away. Serena was still distraught. "I don't think she knows much about who Queen Beryl was."

"Seemed you didn't have much against her last night, either, sis."

Serena's stopped on a dime and sighed. "Casto, I won't lie to you. I think we can trust her."

Casto stopped as well and looked to his sister, "What do you mean?"

"You can't trust her, can you?"

"Never said that. I want to trust her." Casto moved his head sideways. "When I was hit by that cloud thing during the attack on the Moon Kingdom, I saw Beryl there. She was torn, in a way. It looked to me like, deep down, she really didn't want to do it at some times, and then other times, she was all about striking. I didn't have a chance to say anything when..." He was interrupted by a speeding car going in the direction of the school. "The hell? They _do_ know this is a school zone, right?"

"I think it was headed for our school, and I think she was with..._Molly_?"

The two sprinted towards the school to try to get to the car. They were out of breath by the time they finally got there, only to see the car stop right at the front door of the school. Molly quickly got out of the car and nearly slammed the door off its hinges.

Both siblings heard the screaming of Molly's mother. "Don't you dare do that or you'll be restricted more, maybe for a longer period. You make sure you give your principal that note I gave you, too. I'll be calling him after I get back home, and I'll pick you up after school. I better not hear of any more altercations, or you will belong to me." The woman sped off as the two siblings ran to meet Molly.

"What was that all about?" Serena asked.

"I can't talk to you, Serena," Molly answered. "She told me not to, and she said she's making sure I don't."

"But why?"

Casto held his head. "Damn, we were so caught up in other things last night that I forgot to tell you, sis."

"About what?"

"Molly's been grounded. Don't know for how long."

"For a long time, she said," Molly continued.

Serena pouted. "What for?"

Casto began to speak when Mister Koa walked around to the front of the school from what appeared to be the parking lot. He only looked to Molly with a poker face before walking into the school without even a word. Casto gritted his teeth. "It's because of him. He went to Molly's house and somehow convinced her mother that she was being distracted by us."

He completely lied to her about everything," Molly added.

"What's the note about, Mol?"

Molly took the slip of paper out of her book bag and unfolded it to read, "I am rejecting Molly's request to change teachers for English. She is to be in Mister Koa's class for the remainder of his tenure. Do not let her converse with Serena, Melvin," she paused as she took a big sigh, "and especially Casto. Signed, Miss Baker."

"We're not doing anything to you, though, Molly," Serena objected. "Yes, you two are," a voice suddenly rang out. The group looked towards the door to see Mister Koa walking out. "Molly, I thought your mother told you not to talk to them. I don't want to hear another word coming from you to any of them, or it's an automatic detention, and I will inform your mother! I'll make sure that note gets to the principal. School's about to start. Let's go." Koa blocked any other path for Molly except into the school.

"Why do you care if she changes classes?" Serena yelled out, but there were no other words as the door leading into the school shut behind them.

"I don't get this," Casto said. "It's like he's trying to act like a father to her, but he would be a horrible one."

"Patty can't return soon enough for me. We need him gone real soon."

**-xXXXXx-**

It grew further into the day as Serena and Casto both returned home from what was a very uneventful day at school. That is, unless they counted the events that happened in the morning.

As they came into the house and went upstairs into Serena's room, they heard her phone ring. Casto immediately picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Casto, what's going on with Molly?" he heard Melvin ask on the other end.

"She was grounded because Mister Koa lied to her about us being a negative influence on her."

"Who is it?" Serena whispered.

Casto put his hand on the lower end of the receiver. "It's Melvin!"

"I tried talking to her all day, but she is completely ignoring me," Melvin continued. "She's never been like that before."

"It got worse. He told her mom that she wants to change teachers as a way to get out of trouble or something, and her mother bought every word of it."

"It isn't like her mother to just believe someone like that, especially when Molly was also in the school building when Mister Koa struck that student."

"Well, she's refusing to let her change teachers, and Mister Koa is acting like a father to her. A very forceful father who is only taking this whole restriction thing further than her mother is."

"Don't see why he should have a problem with her switching, but I'll see if I can ask around. Maybe he's got something planned for her. I'm worried about what he's trying to do, but we have to know."

Casto fumed as his hand gripped the phone tightly, but he only bit his tongue. "Okay, let me know if you find out anything."

"Okay. Thanks for telling me what happened. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Cas."

"See you later, Mel," Casto finished as he hung up the phone.

"Does he know anything about why?" his sister asked.

"No, but he said he'll try to find out. He's worried that Mister Koa has something awful in mind."

Serena trembled. "If he hurts her..."

"Serena!" she heard her mother call out. "Someone's at the door for you!"

The two siblings looked to each other, then left Serena's room. They looked downstairs to see Ikuko holding the door open slightly.

"Do you know this person, Serena?" Ikuko continued.

Serena let out a loud gasp. It was Melissa Beryl.

**-xXXXXx-**

"What the hell are you doing here, Melissa?" Serena asked quietly as Melissa joined her and Casto in her room. "How did you know where I lived?"

"Malachite mentioned this place, and Rubeus continued to attack your house before bragging about it," she answered from her seat on Serena's bed. "So I had an idea about where to go. I'm sorry if I'm bothering you."

"Oh no," Serena objected, "you're not. I'm just...my mother didn't know who you were, and I didn't expect you to come here looking for me."

"Yeah, Melissa," Casto added, "you're taking somewhat of a risk by exposing yourself like that."

"How am I, Casto?" Melissa asked. "I know I'm not very liked amongst any of you, but still, it's not like I want to go back or anything."

"We don't know that, though. You say that you don't want to serve Metaria or whatever you called her. But judging from how Rubeus has been acting, she must have gotten into his head good. Whatever control she has over her minions, she's convinced them, and if you're not careful, you'll be in her hands again."

"No," Melissa sighed as she got to her feet and walked over to the window. "Rubeus is just plain evil. Metaria doesn't even have to get into his mind to convince him. He's done that himself. As for me, I've just had enough of her lies and deceit at my expense."

"Let me ask you, then, Melissa," Casto began, "did you orchestrate the attack on Miss Haruna?"

"No. In fact," Melissa paused, "I healed her at the hospital." The two gasped as Melissa continued, "I couldn't stand seeing it. I was only telling Zoycite and Malachite to watch and make sure that Rubeus wasn't betraying us. I saw him go after Patrica, and I was screaming to them at stop him, but Hammerthor's shield made it impossible to hear me, though I could hear them. I couldn't get through to anyone when he went after the hospital. So that's when I thought that maybe Reenie would trust me because she didn't know who I was yet. I didn't mean to put her in harm's way, but it was the only thing I could think of."

"It was a smart move." Serena nodded. "Tell the one person who you knew didn't know that much about you or have anything against you about what was going on."

"So that's why you mentioned to Reenie that her guardian angel thanks her," Casto concluded. "You were her angel."

"Yeah, you could say that," Melissa sighed.

"Thank you," Serena breathed.

"Hmm?"

"I owe you a lot if you were able to do all of that for us. We all need Patty's guidance." '_In more ways than one, I'm afraid._'

"Thank you, but you don't owe me anything." Melissa walked past the bed and towards the door. "I don't deserve anything. It's just me repaying my debt to society."

"Nonsense," Serena growled as she jumped up from her seated position on the floor and grabbed Melissa's arm. "I didn't think you were a good person, but you've definitely convinced me otherwise. Actually," she paused to hum in thought before continuing, "I would love to know more about who you really are."

"It's not that good of a story, believe me."

Serena shuffled in front of her. "But I would love to hear more of it. None of our lives are exactly perfect, either. Listen, how about today, I take you around Juuban, just me and you, and maybe you can see some of the things you're missing out on."

"Sis," Casto interrupted, "you sure?"

She narrowed her eyes at Casto. "Of course I'm sure. Besides, I think she'll want to get some new clothes, anyway. I mean, I like the look and all, but I don't think too many people are going to just walk by someone who is in a long dress and high heels and think that there isn't some sort of formal gathering going on."

Melissa's eyes widened slightly. "Well, I did get some looks from a few guys. I didn't know if I should've been flattered or creeped out. That, and I think it's time I changed my look somewhat. Sure, Serena. I'll bite."

Serena leaped in the air. "All right!"

Melissa couldn't help but let a smile out. "When do we go?"

"How about now? I was planning on doing some shopping downtown, and I was going to call Molly, but she's got some family issues to deal with."

'_You're telling us,'_ Casto thought.

"That, and I got all my homework done in study hall today, so we can have the whole day for us. C'mon, Melissa!" Serena softly gripped Melissa's arm and pulled her out of the door.

'_Wow, Serena,'_ Casto continued in thought, '_Serenity was right about you. You're very forgiving. Though I don't know how much longer that trait will last, given the way Rubeus is trying to break you._'

**-xXXXXx-**

The afternoon sun was beginning to fall westward on Juuban, though to Serena and Melissa, the time it told wasn't of any importance. They walked down the road where Serena knew the Crown Game Center was located, though she didn't think Melissa was ready to go there just yet. She also knew of a certain store that was on this street: the Peaches Fashion Stop. It was a small store a few blocks away from the arcade. It had a pastel orange and white awning on its single pane windows and over the top of its door.

"Doesn't look like a clothing store," Melissa remarked.

"Trust me, it's one of the better places here, and you won't even have to break the bank to get some clothes for yourself."

"You think people will be scared of someone like me walking in here?"

Serena frowned as she put a hand on Melissa's shoulder. "No, I would hope not. People here in Juuban aren't going to be prejudiced."

"Every group has closed-minded people."

"Yes, and you're with someone who knows how to deal with them. Besides, there's someone who works here who is especially nice. She just started a month ago. Someone that might share your story a bit."

Melissa nodded as she followed Serena into the store. It was a small but organized place that had pastel orange walls and a small chandelier on the ceiling. Clothing was hung up on the walls as well as the circular racks around the store. She looked to her right to see the fitting rooms in back of the room, some inches away from the shoe area.

While Melissa kept looking at the scenery within, Serena walked to the counter that was to the center of the left wall. "Is she working today?"

Suddenly, a woman with auburn hair and baby blue eyes came out of a door. She was about the same height as Serena, though she appeared to be somewhat taller thanks to the pumps she wore. Serena recognized the woman immediately. "Avery, you were working today?"

Avery's head coiled back as she smiled brightly. "Serena, what a pleasant surprise. I didn't know you knew of this place. I didn't think that you would find out that I started my job here." She eyed Melissa walking up to the counter. "You! I think I saw you in the apartment building today. You just moved in last night, if I'm not mistaken."

"Woah," Serena exclaimed. "You mean you know Melissa?"

"Well, we haven't talked just yet, but she looked down. I thought she had a death in the family or something."

"No," Melissa answered, "though I feel like I have."

"What do you mean? Oh, wait, I think I know. Some guy she liked broke her heart. Happens to all of us."

"Not really."

"Avery, is there anyone else in here right now?" Serena asked.

"No. I'm the only one here. It's been dead today. Been like this for a while now. Wish the owner would advertise this place more to say that it's here."

"Melissa, do you want to tell Avery about your story?"

Melissa widened her eyes. "Wait, she's just a person working here. It would scare her if she knew where I come from and what I've been doing."

"Well, I think she needs to know because of who you had to deal with."

"What's going on?" Avery said with narrowed eyes.

"Rubeus escaped the UFO attack!"

Avery gasped. "Oh, my God! So that means that he might...?"

"Wait," Melissa interrupted, "you mean you know who Rubeus is?"

"_You_ do?"

"He and I have been fighting for a while. It would set you off about me if you know everything that happened."

"Oh, no, Melissa. You should hear the story me and my sisters have. If you know Rubeus, then you should know our story. Maybe later tonight I'll introduce you to them."

"Okay, okay," Serena cheerfully interrupted. "Enough with all the gloom and doom. We came here to pick out some clothes for you, Melissa. Well, _you'll_ be picking them out."

Melissa didn't waste any time as she jolted to the back of the store and began to look through the dark colored blouses and shirts. Serena rushed to catch up with her as she had already decided on three shirts: one red, one purple, and one black.

"Melissa," Serena said, "you still like those colors?"

"It's my family's color code," she answered. "We Beryls go back long before you were born on the Moon. It was always red, purple, or black. My mother was always in this gorgeous red dress, and my father was in a deep black coat with a purple shirt underneath. I always picked on him, saying he looked like the king in a deck of cards in that stuff. King of spades, I always called him...well, after dad, of course."

"Sounds like you had a close family."

"Loved them with all my heart." Melissa gave a heavy sigh before moving on. "Here we go." She laid her eyes on a pair of low-cut shoes. They had thick white shoelaces woven into black leather. She eagerly swiped them up into her hands from the display shelf and sat on one of the chairs near the fitting rooms.

She reached for her heels and took off one of her shoes before placing the low-cut version onto her foot. As she was doing so, Serena looked to the purple-laced heel that Melissa had removed. "Same size as I wear."

"I've had those for a while, though, so I might've grown since then." Melissa tied the black shoe and walked in it for a few moments. She braced the awkward balance of the flat shoe on one foot and the raised heel on the other. "Just perfect, though. It's a size seven."

"That's more of an athletic shoe, though," Avery said as she approached the two. "It's mostly for those who choose to do one of those extreme sports I keep hearing about."

"They're very comfortable, too. Just what I was looking for."

Melissa and Serena both tried on several other outfits of various colors and styles. Anything from high end skirts and blouses to simple casual jeans and t-shirts were tried. They spent nearly an hour shopping, and Serena was worried a half hour into the activity that Melissa was always attracted to the same three colors. However, Melissa suddenly tried on a knee-long blue silk dress with matching high heels that made her blush. She liked it so much that she decided to get the same thing herself.

An hour later, they went to the front counter to check out. Avery thought that they were going to clean the store out. Over twenty garments each were in their hands, which was probably going to break their bank. If only Avery could get these two in here every day. She rang in each article of clothing quickly and stuck them into one of an array of handle bags.

"Okay, you ready for the bad news, Serena?" Avery asked.

"I wouldn't ever be, but..."

"Two hundred fifty three!"

Serena was nearly floored. "Whaa...? I don't think I have..."

"Thought it would be more." Melissa grinned. Serena looked over to see what she could only describe as a huge wad of cash. She was stunned as Melissa paid Avery with some of the money, which went into the drawer just as quickly.

"What in the...?"

"And here we go," Avery smiled. "You two have a great day. And Melissa, before I forget..." She took a piece of paper and jotted an address down on it before handing it to her. "This is the apartment where me and my sisters live. Whenever you want to talk to us about Rubeus, come up and say hi. I think one of my sisters told me which apartment you're in, so if you want, we could always come down to greet you."

Melissa nodded and smiled. "Of course. Can't wait to hear your stories." She collected the four bags, handed two of them to Serena, and looked to Avery again. "Tell that owner of yours to get to telling people about this place. No one should miss it."

"Thank you!" Avery smiled as she watched the two exit the store, only to hang her head in concern a second later. '_Rubeus is...alive? No, Rubeus, I'll never let you take me or my sisters again._'

**-xXXXXx-**

Out on the sidewalk again, Serena turned to Melissa, still in shock. "Forgive me for asking, but where did you get all that cash from?"

Melissa stopped walking for a moment. "It was from some old things that I didn't need. Jewelry, furniture, stuff like that. I hit the jackpot on some old cosmetics I didn't need anymore. This one lady told me that they were very old and actually worth a lot of money because of how well they were preserved. I didn't know those things would be collectibles, but she gave me a ton of money for them."

"Why didn't you keep them, then?"

"I needed the money more. That was how I was able to get the apartment that I..." She was interrupted by a sharp pain in her index finger. It followed a loud crack. She quickly put down her bags and looked at her digit. "Shit! I knew I should've cut these things the second I left the Dark Kingdom." Although it wasn't bleeding, one of her long nails had cracked.

Serena saw the nail laying on the ground next to her feet, and cringed as she looked to Melissa. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I think so. I should trim these damn things after we're done."

"Actually," Serena smiled, "there's a place right near here that I think can do that and more for you. It's right around the corner. This salon gives great pedicures and manicures, and I'm sure they can fix you right up."

Melissa stared at her long fingernails for a few moments. "I never really liked them, but I didn't have a chance to do anything about it because I was too busy with her orders."

Serena looked at Melissa clenching her fists. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I think so. It's just that I did so many things I didn't want to do. I was told to do things that I didn't think I was even capable of doing."

Serena let out a heavy sigh. She recalled what her brother had said to her a week ago about her acting out of rage, and that everyone had a dark side to them. Maybe Melissa had a reason for her actions. "Do you remember why this person was able to reel you in like that?"

"I can't even remember the entire story right now, but I did forget about what really mattered to me. My love for the kingdom I once had, and the people that I cared for so much. I can remember some of what happened during my life, though it might be too depressing for someone like you to hear."

"Why wouldn't I want to hear it?"

"The sadness I would see from you would be too much for me to bear. I'm so used to seeing you cheery and happy. I don't think sadness fits you any. I'm very surprised that you are so eager to just trust me, though I'm very happy that you do."

Serena smiled as she looked into Melissa's eyes. "You saved my future daughter's life as well as Darien's. I don't think there's anything wrong with you. Everyone makes bad decisions." She jumped before grabbing Melissa's wrist. "Come on, now! Your masseuse is waiting."

Melissa let out a slight giggle as she let Serena tug her to move, although her mind wandered a bit before she began walking again. '_Future...daughter?_'

**-xXXXXx-**

Inside the salon, Melissa could only let the images of her past race in her mind while a tall woman in a white overcoat, pants, and shoes clipped and filed all of her nails on her hands and feet. It was pure bliss to have this sort of treatment, though as she stared at the blue on all the flooring, walls, and ceiling, she still could not get the words "future daughter" out of her head. _'Serena, you're going to have a daughter? I...don't know what to say. Knowing me, I would've been angry to know that it will be with Darien, but now I'm...hoping that he's the father. I want him to be happy with you. I'm glad that I can finally just feel these things without worrying what she will do to me for expressing myself._'

"Melissa," Serena asked as she looked through her shopping bag, "how does it feel?"

"Been a while since I had this done, as you could probably tell. Not used to it. Hoping no one cuts my finger off or anything. I still need them."

"Don't worry. That's for me to do later!"

Melissa's cocked an eyebrow as her head tilted to look at Serena, who was sitting beside her. "I beg your pardon?"

Serena smiled as she tried to keep a straight face. However, she busted out laughing a few seconds later. The laughter was enough to get Melissa to crack up, as well.

"I'm sure it won't hurt," Serena continued, trying to contain her laughter, "too much."

"Yeah. Except for the blood that'll be squirting from my hands. Thanks for caring!"

"There," the female manicurist interrupted, "all done, and the digits are all ready for the upcoming amputation."

"Well, not just yet," Serena answered, "because I want to take you to the arcade next."

"Arcade?" Melissa asked. "Of course. No day is complete without beating my top score on the Sailor V game there."

"I didn't think a girl like you would play video games. But I can't wait." Melissa eyed her nails. They were now the same length as Serena's, only hers were about a centimeter longer. She grinned brightly at the handiwork that had been done by the manicurist, and then looked at her. "Thanks. You have no idea how much it meant to me to get rid of those nails."

"Usually cutting off nails that long can signify starting anew," the woman said.

"I think I've already done that, though. This was just further sealing the deal." Melissa got to her feet and grabbed her high heels from the shoe rack near the front counter. She then reached in her dress and pulled out her money, giving two hundred yen to Serena. "Here! Can you pay her for me so I can get dressed?"

Serena took the money, though with confusion. "What do you...oh yeah!"

"I want to get into something more comfortable now that I have the time. Can't wait anymore to try out the new look. If you don't mind, of course."

"Not at all. I'll just wait for you out here, 'kay?" Melissa nodded before grabbing her bags and heading to the women's changing room.

"She doesn't seem like the person who would want those nails," the manicurist said. "Is she a friend of yours?"

Serena nodded as she handed the woman the money. "We just met today. Can't believe how fast we hit it off. I feel like I've known her for ages."

"Some women are like that. I couldn't do that, but my sister could just meet someone on the street and have an hour long conversation with them. I guess it just goes with how willing you are to meet new people."

"Sometimes it just takes the right kind of people to have that happen. I'm sure you're the same way. Just need to feel it, that's all."

"I hope so. At this rate, I'll be single for the rest of my natural life."

"Ah, I think I know of someone who you might be able to..."

"Okay, Serena," they heard Melissa call out. "I'm ready!"

Serena and the woman both turned their heads to the door of the changing room. There stood Melissa, but now in a dark purple buttoned up, short sleeved shirt and black jeans. She walked over to the front counter as her skate shoes made loud echoes in the building.

"Wow, you look nice like that," Serena exclaimed.

"Thanks. Fits perfectly, too. At least my keen eye hasn't changed." Melissa turned to the manicurist. "Thanks for everything. And don't worry. All you have to do is to live life some more, and that skill will come on its own."

"Thanks, Melissa," the woman said with a nod. "I didn't know you heard me."

"Some people say I have ears like a bat. Sorry if it wasn't my business."

"Oh, that's fine, Melissa. You're welcome here anytime you need anything, too. You should stop by regularly to make sure that they don't get as long as they did."

"Thank you. I'll talk to you later, then." Melissa smiled as she and Serena left the store.

"I hope so."

**-xXXXXx-**

The sign above the door of the arcade read in big letters "CROWN GAME CENTER". As the sun began its decent into the mountains, Serena and Melissa both stood in front of the door to the arcade.

"So you came here every time you weren't fighting me?" Melissa asked.

"Well, not all the time. More like...well, most of the time."

Melissa slowly paced towards the door, which slid open automatically. There were a few people in the place when she walked in, and even fewer people playing the games available. She stopped a few steps inside the building, with Serena following her. She traveled her eyes across the length of the room at the many game machines that were neatly lined up in a row. The people playing the games sure did look like they were having fun, though they were more in the back of the arcade. On the back wall and to the left was a raised platform that had a counter on it.

Serena looked towards the counter to see a very familiar blonde male. "Andrew!"

Andrew shot his blue eyes towards Serena and her tall friend. "Hey, Serena! Long time no see! Thought you would never come back." He circled around the counter and raced down to meet them. "What was going on all this time? Heard you had some rough times lately."

"Yeah, you could say that. But things are a lot better now, I hope."

"Well, I prayed for your family to be alright after I heard about that madman attacking them like he did."

Serena's eyes widened. "You heard about that?"

"It kind of spread like a wildfire here. I don't think there was anyone that wasn't down after hearing about it. You were sort of a celebrity, though probably not the way you would've wanted."

While Serena was shocked that Andrew knew, Melissa was stunned for another reason. "Wait, Mr. Andrew? Someone attacked her family?"

"Oh," Andrew answered as he turned to the unfamiliar face. "Please excuse me. You must be a new friend of hers."

"Yes. The name's Melissa Beryl."

He nodded as he continued, "Well, I guess you should know, unless she told you already."

"She doesn't, I don't think," Serena stated. "I didn't know if you had found out yet, but someone tried to murder my family in cold blood. He was described as a man with a purple vest and spiky red hair."

'_Rubeus?_' Beryl thought. '_So that's why you hate his guts!_'

"He put Sammy in intensive care, and his leg still hasn't healed up. For a while, we thought he wasn't going to make it." She gave a heavy sigh. "My dad also got shot, but not as badly. I swore on my life that if I ever found the man who did that..."

"I don't blame you, Serena," Melissa interrupted.

"Well," Andrew said, "I'm just glad Sammy's fine. Hopefully everything will return to normal for you. Seeing you with a new friend is a good sign." Andrew looked up and down the length of Melissa. She narrowed her eyes as she watched him move his head. "Interesting getup, though."

"Hey," Melissa harked, "I like this look!"

"Didn't say it was bad. I like it, actually."

"And I'm not looking right now."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm already taken. I'm with one of Serena's friends. She'd kill me if she caught me checking you out."

Melissa began to say something, but her eyes interrupted her by catching sight of one of the standup cabinets. "Serena, is that the game you were talking about?"

Serena looked to where her friend was pointing. It was a Sailor V arcade machine, with four joysticks and an array of buttons. "Yeah, the Sailor V game...though I like to sit down when I play." She pointed right in front of her. "That's the machine I usually claim."

"That standing one is a newer version we got last week," Andrew commented. "Supports four players, but it's supposed to be a bit more difficult to get through."

"Harder than the one I play?"

"One of the better players had a hard time getting through the first stage of the new one."

"I like a challenge," Melissa said. "I think I'll try it."

"Yeah," Serena agreed. "Bring it on!"

The two females got their change, approached the machine, and plucked the coinage into it. Within seconds, they were ready to begin. The masked female they knew as Sailor V was jumping, diving, and shooting to get through the stage. It was actually two of them, though, as one had a blue miniskirt and the other having a green one to identify who was who: blue was Melissa while green was Serena. Yes, it was drastically different from what the two would've remembered it as, and it was very difficult. However, with the two women combining their skills together, they were able to clear the first stage and move on.

"Hey, I guess we're the first to get through it," Melissa proclaimed.

"Did that one guy play solo?" Serena asked the observing Andrew.

"Yes, he did."

"I think there's a reason why this supports four players, then," Melissa answered. "You're supposed to only be able to complete it as a team." She turned her attention back to the game, where she was being attacked by another gang of thugs. "Ah, no you don't!" She pressed a quick combination of buttons. "Hell yeah!"

Serena was not hiding her enthusiasm, either. "Want some of this?"

Andrew watched as the two worked together to get through the second stage easily, even though the boss of that stage was what Melissa considered "cheap."

The third stage began, and they were quick to reach the halfway point when the screen began to display a bunch of binary codes and turn blue.

"What the hell?" Serena growled.

"Not again," Andrew grumbled. "These new machines do this, sometimes. They're alright for a while, and then they stop working."

Melissa didn't seem too concerned, though. "It should be able to let you see what's going on if you get into a debug menu."

"Hmm. I think it might have one. But how do you know about those?"

"I've worked with something like this before. These always have a way to get you to see what the problem is. You have to restart it and press these two buttons together when it starts up."

As Andrew saw Melissa demonstrate which two buttons did the work, he reached into the back and switched off the cabinet, waited two seconds, and then turned it back on. As soon as she heard the machine start, Melissa held down the two buttons on her blue side of the console. Within seconds, a bunch of tests on the characters and video colors were being run. It was when a screen test was being run that a message came up: "Warning: Dip switch positions not compatible with current version. Please either change the positions or inquire for an update." The message listed an address to receive professional service.

"I don't know too much about that type of thing," Andrew answered. "I just make sure everything is alright and put the out of order stickers up if they need them. I was hoping it would do this one or two times, which is why I didn't put the stickers up on this one."

Melissa looked in the back of the machine. There were several switches, in two rows of seven. "Andrew, press a button once and tell me what it reads."

Andrew did what she told him and read out, "Character limit. Fifteen. Difficulty level: Very difficult."

"I think we may have the problem right here." Melissa pressed a few switched before coming back to the front of the machine. "The difficulty level was so high that it brought out more enemies than the video settings were able to handle. It would normally be happening on the third stage, but I bet some people tried to rush through the stages to have the enemies follow them. You may want that update, too."

Both Andrew and Serena were standing stiff in shock—Serena more so than Andrew as she paced in front of Melissa. "I don't even know what you just said, but that was awesome."

Melissa smiled and nodded. "I thought so myself. Now, you'll have to restart it one more time in order for everything to take effect."

Andrew switched it off and then on again, the game coming back on without a hitch. "My God, you're a life saver."

"Well, don't celebrate yet. Don't know if it will change anything. I would test it before declaring victory."

"It's something I'll have to do tomorrow," Andrew answered as he checked his watch. "It's almost time to close this place. That other group left, I take it. Didn't even know they were gone." He then looked to Melissa. "Um, I know this is sudden and all, but I could use someone like you who knows something about these machines."

Melissa dropped her jaw slightly. "You mean you're offering me a job here?"

"Yeah. It wouldn't be too much of a hassle. Just a few hours during the day. It'll be good to get some money into your pocket. I don't know much if anything about how to do what you just did. This isn't the only one that I think something will need fixing."

"C'mon, Melissa," Serena cheered. "Take it!"

Melissa batted her eyes and brought out her hand. "I think you got a new employee." She and Andrew shook hands firmly.

"Thank you so much. You will be such a life saver. Tomorrow at noon. Think you can make it?"

"I know I can!"

"Okay, then, it's set. I'll have to go and do the necessary paperwork to get you started, and then you'll be ready to go. It's only until three, though, so don't expect to be here all day."

Melissa nodded. "Thank you so much. I wasn't even thinking about getting a job here, actually. I'm glad you said something about it. I'll be here."

"I think we should let him get to his work so he can close this place," Serena interjected. "Listen to me being the one who wants to leave."

"Yeah, things have definitely changed around here," Melissa sighed. "Anyway, thanks a lot, Andrew!"

"You're welcome," he answered as the two ladies made their exit. "I'll see you tomorrow."

**-xXXXXx-**

Melissa and Serena began to walk towards their next destination on a side street, away from the busyness of Downtown Juuban. The sun was setting, with the orange hue radiating across the sky.

"Melissa," Serena asked, "what kind of things did you have in the Dark Kingdom in order to know about all that stuff in the arcade?"

Melissa stopped dead after hearing the question, with Serena doing the same a few steps later. She looked back to see the former Dark Kingdom Queen cracking a small smile and exhaling slightly. "She didn't even know I had one."

Serena walked back towards her friend as her eyes narrowed. "Huh?"

"I loved that game. So much that I...kinda ordered the Youma who attacked the arcade a long time ago to get one of the cabinets and boards that they had tossed out. I only told him it would be for the machines we had in the Dark Kingdom in case we had an issue with the magic. But I really wanted to try the game out. I got hooked and I was using it to relieve some stress."

"I didn't think you'd get into that game."

"You'd be surprised at all I did while going after everything I had been trying to acquire. I needed something to get away from it all." Melissa shed a single tear that she let run down her cheek before continuing. "I forgot a lot about who I was during that time, Serena. I guess it's a sort of "if I knew then what I know now" type of thing."

Serena saw the tear as her mouth straightened. "Did you know about why you attacked that day?"

"I thought I did. I'm not so sure anymore, though. My doubts started the day I met Rubeus. I knew I couldn't trust the guy. I guess it also made me think about my own life. God, Serena, I thought I was the evil person, but I had my limits. I was so pissed when I found out he attacked Reenie."

"Did you know that he attacked my family before I said something to Andrew?"

"No, but I wish I had."

"Sammy was so close to death! I've never felt so much anger at one person before. I thought I could actually forgive him for a moment. I'm so stupid to think I could."

"Do you forgive me?"

There was the question that Serena had been waiting to hear. Although she didn't realize it at first, hearing it made her remember one of the many people she knew she could forgive, though she couldn't verbalize it through the shock of hearing the question so suddenly.

"Serena," Melissa continued, "I know you may not be able to accept it for whatever reason, but I want you to know that...I'm sorry. I didn't realize what I was doing until it was too late. I let my anger get the best of me, and I trusted someone I shouldn't have. If you can never forgive me, I will understand."

Serena looked into Melissa's eyes, which were filled with sorrow and despair. "Melissa, you've done more than what I think you had to do to gain my trust. I know you may need to work to get others' trust, but you have mine. That, and," she paused, "I forg..."

That was all she was able to get out as she was suddenly struck by a steaming red beam that hit her in the back. It made her double over in front of Melissa. The former queen quickly caught her and held her up to keep her from falling violently.

"_Serena_," she cried. Her breaths quickened as she felt the body slowly slide down. She responded by laying Serena down on the ground carefully.

"No, Queen Bitch," Melissa heard a baritone voice hark in front of her, "no one can ever forgive you for being such a triple-crosser."

The voice was one that she recognized immediately, and she fumed at who she now knew had fired his lava beam. "_Eruptor_!"

She looked up to see Eruptor staring down at the two as he paced towards them. "And I thought you two were beginning to finally patch things up. What about it, huh?"

Melissa rose to her feet with her body trembling. "You leave her out of this! It's me you want, and since you want a fight, I'll damn sure give one to you."

"Oh, but it's her that he wants, too!" She heard a frightening voice beckon from behind her.

She turned her head over her shoulder to see. "Rubeus! You dare show you face in my presence again?"

"Let's see," Rubeus said as he marched towards Melissa, "you betray your kingdom, betray your king and queen, you betray your people, and you'll probably betray Serena, too. You have some record with how much you've backstabbed them!"

"No, Rubeus! I didn't betray anyone! I'm just living for me for the first time in my life! All I want is to have that bitch Metaria _out_ of my life!"

"But she's still your queen, Beryl! Or should I call you Melissa now? You see, I was looking through that room that you had while you were away on your little adventure some time ago! You had one happy family! Too bad they're gone, isn't it?"

Melissa only responded by spinning around and throwing a straight punch at Rubeus' face. He quickly jumped out of the way as he smirked. "Ah, so I hit a nerve!"

"Don't ever talk about them!"

"Or you'll what? Kill me? Well, more betrayal!" Rubeus circled around Melissa to join Eruptor, who was standing still, listening to his master. "Don't worry, Melissa. I won't have to soil my hands in order to kill you! Eruptor told me that he was loyal to you! Isn't that right, man?"

"Yes, Queen Beryl," Eruptor answered. "I admired you for laying waste to that good-for-nothing hellhole that Serenity thought she would have forever. You were a hero!"

"No, Eruptor, you're wrong," Melissa yelled. "That didn't make me a hero! That made me a coward! If you had any idea how much guilt I've held since then, you would see how much I loathe myself because of my actions! Yes, I know Serenity wasn't perfect, but I would never _want_ to destroy anything like that!"

"Then why did you? You killed Serenity! You must've wanted it bad enough!"

"Because she was being used," they heard Serena say through gritted teeth as she began to fight back to her feet. "Anyone can be brainwashed by cowards like you who can't fight on their own!"

"So you really are going to forgive this witch for trashing the Moon Kingdom, is that it?" Rubeus barked.

"Yes! I've wanted to for so long, but I never got the chance!"

'_Serena,'_ Melissa thought, '_thank you!_'

"How foolish for you to forgive someone who will just betray you again?" Rubeus continued.

"Serena," Melissa said, "go and call your other friends. I can fight these two until they get here."

"Melissa, you don't have to."

"Don't worry, Serena. I'll be fine. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve." Serena only nodded as she raced into a nearby alleyway. Melissa said to Rubeus and Eruptor, "I don't answer to you or to her anymore, Rubeus!"

"You made the biggest mistake of your life by betraying your people!" Rubeus jumped up onto a brick wall across the street from where Melissa was making her stand. "But I'll let Eruptor take you on."

"Rubeus, you're too kind," Eruptor shouted before shooting a huge red lava beam straight for Melissa. She jumped forward out of its path and attempted to kick him in the face. Eruptor dodged the kick and shot out a punch while he set his own hand on fire. She ducked underneath it and delivered a shoulder hit in his gut. It made him stagger back slightly, though he quickly fired a flaming beam from his left fist. It made Beryl have to jump to her left. As she did so, she readied her black stalactite projectile. She hoisted it over top of her head as she skidded backwards on her feet from the jump. She aimed it for Eruptor's heart, though he countered by firing his flaming beam once more, completely dissipating it.

While Melissa was battling the Youma, Rubeus' eye caught Serena with her communicator calling the Sailors. '_Yes, Sailor Bitch! Do exactly what I thought you would!'_ He smirked as his left hand patted his hip. There was something there for sure, though he opted to keep it hidden as he continued to watch the fight.

"You're never going to believe this, Luna," Serena whispered into her communicator, "but Melissa Beryl is fighting one of her own Youma!"

"Queen Beryl," Luna paused, "battling one of her own? I don't know if I _can_ believe it!"

"He's calling himself Eruptor, and Rubeus is with him. Not sure what this is about, but Eruptor didn't seem to hold any sort of loyalty to Melissa. That, and he attacked me from behind with whatever it was."

"I'll get the others, but I want to warn you that not too many of us are sold on trusting her right now, if any. I don't trust her at all, and if it wasn't for you being involved, I wouldn't even bother. We'll be there as soon as we can!" The communication was terminated, even though Luna's last words made Serena sigh deeply.

'_No, Luna, you can trust her._'

Meanwhile, Melissa was trying to hold off one of Eruptor's fire punches, even though it was burning into her hand. Eruptor countered with a stiff kick to her stomach, and then a fire punch to her temple. It made her fall to the ground, though she growled as she jumped back to her feet and charged into him with a heavy shoulder tackle that sent him falling on his back. He rolled to his feet and fired first a fire beam and then a lava beam. She dodged the fire one, but the lava beam caught her leg as she was jumping out of the way. She fell on her side with extreme force.

"You ready to die yet, Beryl?" Eruptor snarled through his teeth as he approached her fallen body.

"Go ahead, Eruptor," she answered, "kill me! It won't change a damn thing! You'll still be betrayed by the two people you think you can trust! You'll still be a jealous glory hog! I beg of you, destroy me and put the Beryl curse out of its misery!"

"Oh, I can arrange..."

"No, you won't!" Serena yelled as she stood straight and gazed diabolically at Eruptor.

"What's this?" Eruptor shrieked.

"I'm not going to let you harm one of my friends! Even one I just made today!"

'_C'mon, Serena,_' Rubeus thought as he clenched his hip to grab something from his belt line. '_Show it! Show that Silver Crystal! Did you forget already what else I now hold?_'

Serena gripped her Moon Locket in her hand, her narrow eyes still glued onto Eruptor. Melissa's eyes were locked onto the young girl as she began to motion for her transformation, the brooch slowly opening.

However, as she was coming back to her feet, Melissa also caught a glimpse of Rubeus whipping out a small silver pistol with a square barrel. That was all she could see before she realized that he was pulling the trigger. As he did so, she saw a small black aura resonating from the back of the barrel, where the safety would've been. She recognized the aura immediately: the Hizrounswa. Rubeus was aiming right for Serena's Moon Locket, and he fired the gun as Serena began to call out, "Moon, Crystal..."

"Serena!" Melissa screamed.

Serena saw the bullet coming for the locket. She clasped it shut and was able to flip out of the way of the shot. She then looked to see Rubeus continuing to shoot his weapon at her. She had to jump and juke out of the way of each shot as quickly as her body would allow; she showed her flexibility in doing so.

"C'mon, Sailor Moon!" Rubeus growled. "Bring it out! Let me end you right here and right now!"

Eruptor fired another set of beams at Melissa. She quickly grabbed an empty tin trash can and threw it at him as he fired the beams. They melted the can, though his beams stopped short because of it, and he had to defend himself against the projectile. Melissa saw Eruptor ready another set of beams. '_We can't keep avoiding these things forever!_'

Melissa put one hand high into the air, and a ball of purple energy formed within it. '_Time I started using this again. Hopefully I still remember how to perform it_.' She held her other hand high, with the same batch of purple energy forming. A small amount of air began to blow upward as her hair was caught in the wind. She crossed her arms tightly to her chest with the spherical energy still glowing in her hands. She closed her eyes and made the energy grow, screaming, "Shadow Wave!" She reopened her eyes and suddenly threw her arms past each other, making the two energy balls collide together. They formed a full beam of pure purple energy in between her outstretched hands. She finished her call by screaming, "Strike!" The purple energy bar then streaked across the sidewalk and collided with Eruptor. The force from the Shadow Wave made him fly back and hit a wall.

She focused on Rubeus, who was still firing the Hizrounswa gun at Serena. The girl was growing extremely tired with all of her flips to dodge each shot, and Melissa knew she couldn't hold out much longer as the madman cackled.

"Dance, Serena!" he sneered. "Dance until you die!" Rubeus stopped firing, however, once he saw Melissa shoot her Shadow Wave at Eruptor. He shot his eyes right at the woman. "What a pity you used that on him. He was hoping you wouldn't resort to the Shadow Wave that he told me you once used on your foes. Now I know you still hold magic, and just enough for me to do you in with the Hizrounswa. You see, this new weapon has the crystal inside of it. All I have to do is move a lever, and I can pick whatever level I want. Let's see, Melissa. How about level six on your new pal?

"You hurt her, and I swear to God..." Melissa growled.

"Growing a heart for her, too? You weren't kidding!"

"She's shown me more of my human side today than I have seen in years!"

"The same girl you hated is the one who shows your human side, as you call it?"

"She has one," Serena yelled. "You have no idea what that even is anymore!"

As they were talking, Eruptor got to his feet and slowly began to ready another set of beams. Rubeus caught him doing so out of the corner of his eye and chose not to acknowledge it as he continued, "Neither does Queen Beryl! No feelings, no remorse, no pity for those she hurts! You call that a friend?"

Melissa began to speak, but before she could, she saw Eruptor fire his beam directly at Serena and panicked. "_Serena_, _look out_!" She turned and tackled her friend, saving her from the beams. However, Melissa wasn't as lucky. She was hit directly on the back by both beams, and Serena saw that she was badly hurt by the shots. Her back had been nearly charred, with the shirt she had bought earlier that day having been burned slightly.

"M-Melissa," Serena quivered. "Are you...? Please be alright! You didn't have to...!"

"Rubeus," Melissa growled as she slowly rose to her feet. She ignored all her pain as she stood straight, looking dead at Rubeus. "You have no idea how much I've gone through. I wouldn't wish my curse on anyone!"

"How is this possible?" Eruptor panicked. "She took both of my shots directly! How is she still standing?"

"She isn't human, Eruptor!" Rubeus answered. "She just acts like she is!"

Not knowing that the other Sailors had now arrived behind the two girls, Melissa continued, "How dare you think I can't feel? Live my life, Rubeus! Fail to stop a school full of kids being blown up from a terrorist attack! Hear that your mother and father, who you loved so much, were killed in a shuttle crash, all while you were ten and you knew that you were the next queen in line!"

As Melissa said the latter, Sailor Jupiter gasped loudly and took a few steps back. '_No! That's exactly how mine...!_"

"Rubeus, don't you dare think that I wouldn't know what being human is like, because until you felt my pain and suffering, you never will know!"

"Oh, shut up! You're making me sick! Eruptor, maybe a few more beams will do the trick!"

"Ah yeah!" Eruptor exclaimed. "This time, I aim for her heart!"

'Serena," Venus whispered as she helped her back to her feet, "you alright?"

"Yes, I think so," she answered. "Just a bit worn out, though I would be a lot worse if it wasn't for her."

"You mean Queen..."

They were both interrupted by Eruptor firing shot after shot of his two beams. The Sailors jumped to get out of the way of the fire and lava.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Mercury shouted as she fired her tsunami attack at the monster. His bullets were quickly gone as a result.

"Mercury," Mars called out, "let's try that same thing on him!"

Mercury nodded as she jumped into the abandoned street to get back to back with her friend. "Shine Aqua Illusion!"

"Mars Celestial Fire! Surround!" Mars' attack combined with Mercury's to create the same blue flames that they used in Starlight Tower. The flame encircled Eruptor and had trapped him for a moment. He was able to jump up and out of the circle.

As he soared through the sky, however, he heard a male yell, "Vulture Attack!" Before he could react, he felt a hard smack on his chest. The blow made him fall straight down, colliding with the concrete below.

Sailor Vulture jumped to the ground as he smirked. "Yeah, that's how you extinguish a hothead!" As Eruptor fought to get back to his vertical base, Vulture looked to his sister. "Go ahead and transform, sis! We'll hold him..."

"No, Serena," Melissa interrupted, "don't worry! I'll finish him this time."

Everyone looked to her with confusion, especially Casto. "What are you...?"

He stopped talking as Melissa formed a stalactite crystal and hurled it at Eruptor. It struck him in the heart as he screamed out, "No, Queen Beryl! You will always be a triple crosser! The curse will never be broken!" He couldn't say any more as his black soul plunged out and crashed onto the ground. Melissa fumed as his body evaporated with his soul.

Rubeus let out a slight growl and snarled his lips. "This is ridiculous! I should just kill you all right now!"

He readied the Hizrounswa gun and began to fire. That is, until he felt a familiar strike on his wrists, making him drop the gun on the ground. "Tuxxy Boy again? That rose is becoming a damn habit with you!" Rubeus, however, caught someone else rushing at him from atop the wall he had been standing on. He never got a chance to react as he felt a firm kick right in his gut. It sent his back to the ground, with Mini Moon smirking at what she was able to accomplish.

"Just in time, as always," Vulture quipped.

Rubeus was inching for his gun when he heard Mask yell, "Don't you even think about it, Rubeus!" He stood straight on the edge of a two story brick building across the street. "I really don't care what your alliances are. As long as you continue to terrorize everyone you come across, we will stop you!"

"You don't understand, Tuxxy Boy, I've got more power now than any of you freaks put together!" Rubeus rolled to his gun and grabbed it. He pulled the lever down to level five and was ready to shoot.

"Sparking Wide Pressure!"

Rubeus saw Jupiter's attack coming and jumped onto the top of the wall. He looked around to see all the Sailors, Tuxedo Mask, and Melissa Beryl staring him down. He was clearly outnumbered, and he quickly grunted and disappeared before anyone could react.

"When all else fails," Vulture responded, "run like a scalded...huh?"

His eyes caught Melissa Beryl staggering as she held herself against the wall with her hand. She was clearly in pain from the shots she had taken from Eruptor. The other Sailors took notice of her pain, though Melissa didn't pay any attention to anyone, since she was not able to as she continued to wince with every step she took.

"She can take more than that, I'm sure," Sailor Mars claimed.

"I don't know, Mars," Vulture answered. "She looks pretty messed up."

"Another ploy to get the Silver Crystal?" Luna whispered.

"Not a chance," Serena said. "She took Eruptor's shots for me."

Jupiter looked to the rest of her party, and then to Melissa. She fought within herself wondering what she should do, but she soon raced over to the ailing woman and wrapped her arms around her. "You going to be alright?"

"I..I think..." Melissa said. She couldn't finish, however, as she collapsed on the ground. Jupiter's arms were the only thing that kept her on her feet.

Serena gasped and made a beeline to her fallen friend. "Melissa!" She also knelt down next to her. "You didn't have to do that for me."

"Yes, Serena, I did, and I wanted to. I don't deserve this..."

"Shut up, Melissa! You do deserve the help. Especially after all you did. Yes, I forgive you, and yes, after what you did today, I know I can trust you!"

"She," Luna paused, "trusts her?"

"Melissa, is it?" Jupiter asked. Melissa responded with a nod as she continued, "Sailor Vulture was right. He got you pretty good! You should see a doctor about..."

"_No_!" Melissa barked. "I don't need any damn doctor!"

"But you..."

"I don't feel comfortable yet going to any! I can't..."

"No, Melissa," Serena growled, "I'm ordering you to see ours right now!"

Melissa looked to Serena with a slight smirk. "Order?"

"Yeah! I _am_ a princess, after all!"

Melissa widened her eyes a moment before letting out a slight chuckle. "As long as they only come from you and not that witch Metaria."

"She's never going to have you again as long as you have me as a friend."

Jupiter nodded. "And if you've got her as a friend, you'll have her as one for life!"

"And...as long as it's Mesta that you're talking about," Melissa said.

"Oh, yes," Serena quickly answered. "He's the only one my family trusts to tell them the truth."

'_Trust,_' Sailor Mars thought. '_It's something I can't understand. How can she trust Queen Beryl so quickly? I'm sorry, Melissa. I can't ever trust you. You will never be my friend.'_

**-xXXXXx-**

Nephlite had been getting the final pieces of data downloaded onto the optical discs, which he previously hadn't known could be done. It was after this that he would be leaving the Dark Kingdom, though he didn't want to leave without Zoycite. She was still in the throne downstairs, acting as queen. Her resolve to continue to protect something that Nephlite thought and knew was already lost was something that he admired and despised at the same time. Beryl's final order to them was to live their lives, yet Zoycite saw living her life as making sure that Rubeus and Metaria didn't have their way. He was egging the machine to be quicker about this. It wasn't as long as he expected the transfer to be, though now it was slowing down. On the final piece of data, of course.

The observatory was where he felt safest doing this operation, though halfway into getting the last piece of data, he heard loud footsteps behind him. He gasped and froze stiff. Had to be Rubeus finding out that he was still here. Or maybe he had done another unthinkable act and revived Metaria from captivity. He didn't know what form Metaria would take. For all he knew, she could've been human after all, and had just held the most extreme of magical abilities. Regardless, he didn't need to be caught now trying to get some very important information that could be of great use in the years to come.

However, his nerves were relaxed as he instead heard Zoycite say, "Is it done yet?"

Nephlite gave a heavy sigh before answering, "Almost. I have to get this last piece of info onto the disc, and then I'm done."

Zoycite stopped pacing as she looked over his shoulder to see the terminal. "Then after it is done, you'll be leaving here?"

"Yes! I don't want to be here any longer than I have to."

She sighed deeply as she turned and walked away a few steps. "I think I'm ready to, as well."

Nephlite's eyes shot up slightly as he turned to Zoycite. She hung her head and looked at the purple tiara.

"A long time ago," she continued, "I had a dream that I would become a queen someday. I was only a child back then, and I loved watching people like Serenity and Kishmel always being able to get people's trust and love."

"Kishmel was loved, but I'm not sure about Serenity. A lot of people adored her, but it wasn't like she was someone that was admired by everyone. She did have her naysayers."

"I know she wasn't perfect. But at least she was more of a queen than the person who is only saying she is now. Metaria is just some heartless vessel who wants to lay waste to everything she touches, and the way Rubeus admires her makes me sick. I thought that now would be my chance to show at least to whoever was left that I could be a queen, and that I could rule with a kind heart, just like the idols I have. But I've realized that there's nothing else here other than those that Rubeus is using and her."

Nephlite walked to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Did you idolize Beryl, too?"

"Yes, I did. I didn't know how she did it, but she was able to endure every single thing she went through and still put a smile on her face when she needed to. I was forever stricken by some of the things that I heard happened to her and her family. It was even more disgusting that someone would use such heartbreak and torment to brainwash her the way Metaria did. It's why I wanted to stay here. I know she would be happy if I could get this place back to its former glory." Zoycite shed a tear as she looked up to the ceiling. "But I know now that it was only a selfish desire of mine because I wanted to be a queen someday. Adam was right. I'm just too damn stubborn to know any better."

"I actually didn't think it was selfish. I thought it was foolish, but not selfish. It was something that you thought was right to do. She's a friend of yours, and you thought this was a way to show that you cared for her. I don't know how she would feel about it, though."

"She said that it was our choice if we wanted to stay and protect this place. Though now I'm believing there's nothing left."

Nephlite closed his eyes tightly. "The toughest thing for a queen to do is to admit when she has been beaten. But it's also the noblest thing to do. Her first responsibility is for the people of her kingdom, and when something happens which threatens the very fabric of it, it's up to her to make sure everyone is safe." He opened his eyes again as he made Zoycite turn to face him. "They are all serving Metaria now. I know from watching them in that holding room that they didn't care about Beryl in the first place. They wanted her to leave. They wanted to stab her in the back. They have no loyalty to us or to her. All they care about is Rubeus and Metaria. They would tell them to jump and they would ask how high. It's no longer safe here. The only person who you could even claim as your people would be me."

"I know that now. I was watching through that Red Room him asking Drillbit to make him his new toy. The Youma looked as though he was honored to have been asked to make it for him, and he didn't stop working until it was done. And Eruptor talked as though he just waited for the day that he could take Beryl out for good. That, and Rubeus is not only evil, but a smart man. He told them to ignore anything anyone orders if it's not from either him or Metaria."

"Eruptor was defeated, though. The Sailors took care of him. I also know where Beryl is now."

"Yes, I know. She's in Juuban with them. I never thought I would see the day, but I'm happy for her. That's where she wants to be. She's found a new life, and I think it's time that I found my own new life."

Nephlite was about to say something else when he heard the terminal spit out the optical disc. "There," he said as he retrieved it, "the final disc is done. Only took two of them."

"Anything important on them?"

"This will show absolutely everything about both kingdoms. The North Pole Kingdom that you mentioned this once was, and the Dark Kingdom. All the history and data are on these two discs. As long as we keep these safe, we will be able to know everything, and thus be able to combat what could happen in the future. No matter what, we need to always know where these two discs are. When I get a chance, I'm going to make some copies of them just in case. There's got to be something here that is of huge importance. There was just so much information that was on the terminals."

Zoycite tossed the tiara onto the ground. "Okay, Eric, let's go."

Nephlite turned to Zoycite. "We won't be able to come back once we leave. You have one more chance to change your mind."

"Yes, I'm positive. It's no longer safe here, and I can always work my way to a title of power that I'll earn, not inherit."

"Okay, then it's time. Let's go. And Rachel." Zoycite hummed slightly as she looked into Nephlite's eyes. "Find him again. You two deserve to be with one another. I wouldn't love anything else more than to see you two together again."

As Zoycite nodded, the two disappeared from the observatory room, and the Dark Kingdom, never to be seen there again.

* * *

Sorry for how long this took. Thanks for my beta, youroctober, for not only helping me with this fic, but also for her patience. It's hard when you get sidetracked.

Good night and good luck.


	8. Injustice

WAR GAMES  
CHAPTER 8  
Injustice

Written by Darkpower  
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)

* * *

"Queen Metaria," Rubeus harked as he stood on the edge of the platform that the orange egg in the Dark Kingdom overlooked, "I'm not sure what her motive is, but Beryl continues to aid the Sailors to thwart our plans. Every time I think I got them, someone else decides to interfere. And that wretched bitch, Beryl..." he clenched one of his trembling fists, "ugh!"

A few bubbles rose in Metaria's egg as a raspy voice answered, "I have seen that failure is becoming second nature as of late, Rubeus. Though I do not blame you. At least you're being honest and telling me all that you know. I feel stronger every time you face them."

Rubeus pivoted and hung his head. "So do I, Metaria! And I don't want to be known as a failure, but I'm looking like one now."

"No, Rubeus, you're not. In fact, this is actually doing us a favor."

He turned back with his eyes narrowed. "Hmm? How do you figure?"

"Beryl being a part of that group shows me just how much the Sailors actually trust her. I can't imagine that it would be a whole lot, considering what she did to them so long ago."

"I saw the expressions on their faces. It didn't seem like a group that thought she could be."

"I don't want to take any chances, though. I remember when the Sailors tried to make us believe there was friction in the group when they were really trying to set us up to tell them how to get into the Dark Kingdom. I won't let it happen again. I want to be sure this time that there is no doubt that the Sailors do not trust their new ally."

"Metaria, with all due respect, I don't think I can understand why this matters to you."

Another set of bubbles rose up inside the egg. "If they don't trust her, then she will soon crack. She feels cursed, and she is also impatient. She wants them to trust her, and if she doesn't get their trust, then she will turn on them like I think she will. Then, she will come crawling back to us. And believe me, Rubeus, I know how to get her back."

"Why even care, though? The Youmas hate her, and she's solid on not coming back to the Dark Kingdom. We can just kill her with the Hizrounswa, and then do away with the rest of the Sailors."

"I have my reasons. I would tell you, but it seems we have another issue that I want to make sure is gone before I reveal anymore."

Rubeus' eyebrows shot up. "What now?"

"I don't sense her anywhere, but I have a feeling Zoycite was aware of what you told the Youmas about your promotion."

Rubeus growled as he hung his head. "Should've known that bitch would eavesdrop on all of us!"

"She may have left the Dark Kingdom along with the rest of the generals, but remember the few places in this facility that were blocked from my sight."

"Yes, she could be listening to us in one of those rooms. Beryl's magic on them may have not worn completely off yet. I can get Drillbit to disable all the terminals."

"No, do more than that. Destroy all of the system. It has very important information that would be disastrous to everything if it fell into the wrong hands. I know where it is, but you will have to destroy it yourself when you get there, for obvious reasons. Then, after that, come back here, and I'll tell you the rest of the reasons."

"Yes, finally, I can destroy something!" Rubeus cheered as he disappeared from Metaria's view.

"Yes, Queen Beryl, you are not someone who was ever to be trusted. I know more about you than even you do. Trust me, Beryl, I know how to get you back."

**-xXXXXx-**

One of the main reasons why Melissa Beryl did not like hospitals was because of the predicament that she was in right now. She was sitting on a bed in the Saint Juuban Hospital Emergency Room. She wanted to stand, but Doctor Mesta wouldn't let her. She needed to move; to go somewhere. Anywhere other than where she was right now. In fact, the only thing that was good about being in a white and beige room filled with many beeping machines was that she could clear her mind.

'_I had to, Serena,_' she thought as she was reminded of why she was there in the first place, with the burn on her back from Eruptor stinging her again. '_I wasn't going to lose you. Funny that I've only met the real you tonight, and I already think you're an angel. I wouldn't even forgive myself that quickly._'

"You alright, Melissa?" she heard a bold but comforting voice ask. She saw a tall woman with auburn hair walk into the room.

"Lita?" she gasped before looking away. "I'll be fine. Thanks."

Lita walked further into the room. "You can talk to me, though. It's not like I'm going to suddenly attack you or anything."

Melissa inched her eyes downward to look at her feet. "I just wanted to help a friend. I don't know if you guys think I'm capable of that emotion, but I just panicked."

"It's because you cared about her at that moment. It was something you're not used to having because you were never supposed to show it, if I heard Serena talking about your day with her right."

The former queen finally faced Lita, although still with her face pointing somewhat downward at an angle. "It was the first day I could just be myself and not have to worry about someone telling me to kill someone. That feeling of just being who you are, not being told to be someone you're not, is liberating."

"Serena's right, though. You didn't have to sacrifice yourself to save her."

"Yes I did," Beryl growled. "If he hurt her..."

"No, I meant, you didn't have to go out of your way to gain her trust. That kind of act is something I probably would've done, or what Casto or Darien would've done. We all love her and we're all obligated to protect her, not only as her guardians, but also as her friends. Even if we didn't have to, she's done more for us than anyone else. Yes, she's an obnoxious one, but that's something else that we've been able to love and couldn't do without."

"I'm glad I could experience that side of her, then."

Lita inched closer to Melissa. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Yeah, of course!"

"What you said back there, about your family being killed the way they were. I don't mean any offense, but did you really say that they died from a space shuttle crash? I just want to make sure I heard you right."

"Yes," Melissa answered, "and none taken. I wish I was lying myself when I said it. Why do you ask, though?"

"Because," Lita began, but she couldn't answer as she began to shed a few tears.

"Lita? What's wrong?"

The lightning Sailor sat down on a wooden cushion chair as she wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry. It's just that my family died the same way."

"Oh, my God! Lita, I didn't mean to..."

"No, you're fine. There was no way you could've known. It's just hard for me to be reminded of the day I heard that that were killed in a plane crash. It doesn't take much for me to be reminded about it. Just turn on a television or a radio and have them play a commercial for Air Tokyo and you'll see me shake. I broke a few radios because I couldn't stop them fast enough."

Melissa was now able to have her eyes meet Lita's. "I guess the only thing different for you is that at least you weren't told that you were also next in line to rule a kingdom."

"Yes, I remember hearing that. While you were ten years old?"

"Sadly, yes. Not only was I stricken by their deaths, but I was also scared to take the reins. So much so that it took me two damn years to pull myself together enough to assume the queen position. My mother did the best job in the damn world and I didn't want to let her down any."

"Was it the same kingdom back then?"

"Oh no, it wasn't! It was the North Pole Kingdom, and it was much more majestic than the hole in the ground that it is now. It's thanks to that slimy Queen Metaria that it's now the Dark Kingdom." Her eyes suddenly shot open. "Lita, if you're here talking as candidly to me as you are, does that mean...?"

Lita smiled as she rose to her feet and walked up to her new friend. "I just didn't think it was necessary to say. Trust is something that you have to just know is there, and I can see it in your eyes that you mean every word you say. I know you have Serena's trust, and you know now that you have my full trust as well."

"Thanks, Lita. It's good to hear, though I didn't think it would be as easy at first to get your trust. I want to be able to earn it, not make it an ultimatum."

"Don't be ridiculous. I have a feeling all of us do. We have a different way of showing it. Raye and Serena have a weird way of showing their trust, but they would be the first to watch each other's back if needed."

Melissa did not answer as they saw Doctor Mesta enter the room with a small white clipboard in his hands. He looked to her and began, "I see you're doing pretty well, Ms. Beryl."

"It's not that," Beryl answered. "I'm not that fond of hospitals. Never liked them when I was a kid, and don't like them now."

"Well then, I have good news for you, Melissa: it's not as serious of a burn as we thought it was at first. I can go ahead and get you out of here within the hour. All I would have to do is some paperwork to release you." Melissa smiled in relief as Mesta continued, "Though I do have some bad news. You're going to know you were burned for a few days. They take some time to heal, and you might feel some tingling sensations, and you will probably feel some soreness when moving around, but that should be all healed quickly unless we missed something on the X-Rays."

"I think I can handle that."

"Just take it easy for a few days and everything should be all right until it heals."

Melissa shook her head at the doctor. "No, that's not in my nature. Besides, I've got a new job that I have to get to tomorrow."

"No heavy work, then. Be careful, and don't do anything that might aggravate your injury, or you'll know about it in a heartbeat. I'll go and get the paperwork done so you can get out of this place. Trust me, this is not a place that many want to be, so I know how you must feel." Mesta exited the room.

Lita looked over to the door at first, and then turned her head towards Melissa as she began, "I didn't know you had a job."

"Yes," Melissa replied. "This guy at the arcade offered me a job, and I..."

"Andrew?" Lita exclaimed. "I know him."

"Yeah. He said he was taken and all, not that I was looking, so don't worry about me trying to take him away or anything."

"Oh no, I'm not worried about that. He's a very nice guy, though. I'm surprised you figured out that I'm his girlfriend without me saying anything."

"The way you suddenly became giddy coupled with him saying that he was an item with one of Serena's friends kinda revealed it. You're one lucky girl, though."

"You're not looking, though? That's surprising."

"I never told anyone this before, but the stuff with Darien destroyed my interest in men for a while. After all of that, I vowed to just let the person that I'm destined to love come to me instead of me chasing them, as much as I hate that word."

"Love?"

"Destiny! What is a life that someone else chooses for you?"

"Yeah, you have a point," Lita answered, though with narrow eyes. '_That's exactly how Casto was talking about destiny. Funny how you and him share the same thought about it. I wonder...'_

**-xXXXXx-**

Mesta met Serena on his way back to his office in the hallway leading to the elevators. "Serena, do you mind if we had a talk in my office?" She shook her head as she followed the tall male into a small office, Mesta shutting the door behind them. He then looked at his guest.

"I'm going to be honest with you," he continued, "I think there's something more about all of these attacks than anyone is letting on."

Serena's nerves tingled throughout her body. "What do you mean?"

"I don't want you to think I'm refusing to help out or anything, but I have to ask you: is there something about you and your friends that I should know? Something other than them being targets to these numerous attacks?"

She was trying to find the words to answer him without revealing who she really was, though the answers never came. She stood there in complete silence, twiddling her thumbs nervously.

"You alright, Serena?"

"Yeah!" She nervously laughed. "I just didn't expect anyone to actually ask if there was anything else to these attacks."

"There's been a lot coming from your circle, so I'm just making sure there wasn't anything else that I should know before moving on." Mesta hung his head and turned away slightly. "Maybe I shouldn't even ask. It's not within my jurisdiction to ask you to tell me your secrets, just like what I did with Patricia."

"No, Doc, it's fine. It's just," she paused and sighed, "if you knew some of the things we go through, you wouldn't ever believe it. Either that or you would never want to see us again."

"Serena," the doctor answered, turning back to the still nervous girl, "you know that there's such a thing as doctor-patient confidentiality here."

"But I'm not a patient."

"I'm your family doctor, though. You're always a patient, and I want you and your family to be able to trust me for anything you need to talk about. I took a look at Melissa's burns, too. They weren't that bad when I looked at them, but it was weird. It was if they were a lot worse before she got here. I have a strange feeling that her body chemistry is not like what I thought it would be."

"She's gone through a lot."

Mesta paced near Serena and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Serena, please. Is there anything else you feel I should know?"

Serena fought within herself. Should she tell this man the truth? Should she tell this person that she was Sailor Moon, and that someone was trying to kill her and her family and her friends? She didn't know what to do, and this was the worst time to have this question asked of her. However, he was going to find out sooner or later, even though she didn't know if sooner was better than later. He may have already known from the start who she really was.

"I don't know if I should tell you about the things you're asking. It's not that I don't trust you, because I do. It's just I don't know how some people will react when I tell them."

Mesta sulked as he took his hand off her shoulder. "Well, I don't think your mother will react too well about something I did when I saw some of Melissa's wounds."

Serena cocked an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

"This whole thing with her and the police be damned. I know they haven't been adept lately, but I tried to call them anyway to see if they could investigate into what's been going on. I know she didn't want me to, and I've been trying to respect her wishes for so long, but it's coming to the point where I can no longer just sit by and watch these things just happen the way they are."

Serena's jaw dropped. "She's not going to be happy if she finds out."

"She won't. Not because I wouldn't tell her, but because whoever is running them isn't going to do anything about it, it seems. I heard someone in the background say something about the Sailors being able to take care of it for them."

Serena could feel her fist tighten as she heard that. "You can't be serious!"

"I wish I wasn't. But I don't think they're going to do anything about this. Which is why I think your mother is right about the police. They are not doing their jobs."

Her eyes were closed and her tears were starting to show. "Doc, promise me you won't tell anyone that I'm her!"

"Serena, what are you...my lord. So that's what you were scared of me knowing."

Her lips quivered as she spoke. "I never asked for it, believe me, but I'm obligated to protect my friends and this world from people like Rubeus. He knows who I am. It's not like he randomly chose my family. Me and him go way back. He's mad at me because I ruined his plan for domination, and he's been taking it out on my loved ones ever since. I'm supposed to keep it a secret from everyone, but I couldn't keep it from my family anymore."

"So they know you're...?" Serena nodded, and Mesta answered with a deep exhale. "Well, I see this might be a bit harder than we first thought. Though if you're Sailor Moon, does that mean that the police want you to...?"

"This is the first time I'm hearing about this, Doc. My Sailor friends won't be happy when they find out about this."

"I suggest you do tell them as soon as you can. I'll continue to see what I can do about it." Mesta grew a small smile before continuing, "There is one more piece of news I think you should know. You'll be happy to know that, speaking of Patrica, she is going to be released from the hospital tomorrow."

Serena's jaw dropped once more, but with a smile. "Patty's..."

"She's going to need to walk slowly, and she is going to have to take it easy for a while, but she insisted that she wanted to get back to her teaching. I don't know if I should let her, but I figured that as long as she doesn't move around that much, she'll be fine. I guess you really are who you say you are, because your friends are extremely brave. It takes a brave person to choose friends that are brave."

"I know Patty wanted to get back to her job, especially after I told her about who it is that's subbing her class."

"Well, regardless, if you see her having any trouble handling her injuries, call me and we'll get her back here right away. Releasing her is against my judgment, but her will and determination was something I couldn't refuse. I'll make sure the school authority knows what the doctor orders are."

"Thanks, Doc."

As Serena began to make her exit, Mesta said, "Oh, and Serena." She stopped and looked back. "I won't tell anyone unless you say it's alright. Your secret is safe with me. Patient-doctor confidentiality." Serena nodded as she made her way out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Well," Mesta told himself, "this is going to get a lot more interesting now. And they thought they were paying me too much."

**-xXXXXx-**

Molly was walking somberly towards her next class through the hallways. Her head was hung, and she took tiny steps. She looked and felt as though she had a death in the family, though all she was doing was going to the one teacher that she had loathed more and more with every passing day.

"No one to distract you today again, is there, Molly?" asked a smiling Mister Koa, the teacher who Molly was dreading to meet today.

"Just leave me alone," she cried as she tried to get past his wide frame to get into the room which door he was blocking.

"You are my pupil, Molly. I will never just leave you alone. I care about your education, and I will make sure you have the correct environment for you to be able to get that education."

'_What can you do that you haven't done already?_'

She tried to get into the room, but Koa blocked her path. She even tried to duck underneath his arm, but he put his leg in her way.

"What are you doing?" she pleaded. "I can't get an education if you won't let me into the room."

"It's because this is the period your distractions are in, and it's something that your mother has told me to do for you. I want you to go to your study hall. The period you have study hall is your new period with me. I took the liberty of switching periods for you so you can focus on your studies instead of Serena and Melvin."

Molly began to open her mouth to say something else, but Mister Koa turned her around and lightly pushed her away from the door. The bell sounded to begin class soon after, and Mister Koa shut the door to his classroom without a second thought. Molly turned her head slightly to see Serena sitting there, looking at Molly's now former seat. She must have been wondering where her friend was at. They did meet each other today, even though Koa seemed to be watching her like a hawk, so they knew the other was there. Molly had to fight off her tears as she slowly walked down the hall towards her study hall room.

**-xXXXXx-**

The school day was over, though for Molly, it was anything but joyful. Though the rest of the day went by without a hitch, it was the sudden changing of periods—something that she didn't know was even going to happen—that got to her. Now she knew there was something more to whatever Koa was trying to accomplish.

As she came out of the school, Molly immediately saw her mother parked right by the front door with the passenger door already open for her.

"Get in now," Miss Baker yelled out as if she was angry at Molly for existing.

However, as Molly was—extremely somberly—making her way to the car, she heard Melvin call to her from behind her, "Molly, wait up!"

"Stay away from my daughter, Melvin!" Baker replied. "You're making her fail her classes! C'mon, Molly, _now_!"

"No, Miss Baker! He's lying to you!"

"Shut up, Melvin! Don't let me ever see you even talk to her again! Molly, c'mon before I drag you in!"

Molly never spoke a word as she climbed into the vehicle and shut the door. She didn't even look back at Melvin as he continued to call out to her, "Molly, we can fix this! C'mon, Mol, we all need you!" It was no use. The car sped away as soon as Molly pulled the door shut, even when he continued to plea, "Molly! _Molly_!" He raced after the car as fast as his legs would allow. He stopped running a few seconds later, though, panting heavily. His eyes stung of tears, so much so that he removed his glasses in order to rub them with his thumb and index finger.

As the car continued to zoom past everything, Molly sighed deeply as she peeked back just enough to be able to see him out of the corner of her eye. '_It's too late to fix anything now, Melvin. He's doing whatever he can to keep me apart from everyone._'

"Molly, I hope you know how unhappy I am that you didn't come into the car quicker," her mother said with a rather stern tone.

"Why do you believe him so much?"

"I don't expect a teacher to lie to me about your grades. They care for your studies, and if you're slacking because of your friends, then you're going to learn how much you will suffer because of them."

"But I'm not being distracted, mom! He lied righ..."

"_He didn't lie to me_!"

Molly could not believe the anger that her mother just showed through her tone and words. She sulked back into her seat, trying to keep her tears from showing.

"Don't you dare even think about crying to get out of your punishment, or it'll last a lot longer than a month."

"I can't help it, mom."

"Yes, you can, and you will! And sit up straight, will you?"

As Molly corrected her posture, she looked to her mother, who was now looking at the road in front of them. '_Why are you acting like this, mom? You were never like this before you talked to him._'

The car sped past two buildings that had a small space between them. It was not wide enough to be considered an alley, but it was wide enough to keep Rubeus concealed within the intrusion.

"That's Molly and her mother," he said to himself. "That's the girl that Nephlite was trying to reel in. Sailor Moon was there when he was thought to have been killed, so that must mean that she's someone Serena knows. Maybe she could be the way I get Sailor Moon to show herself, and then Queen Beryl will show herself. Still, why would you want to have that has-been back into your fold, Metaria? Why not just do away with her instead? I'll follow your intentions, but be sure that you know that if she ends up getting killed, then it won't be any fault of mine...though I will enjoy it."

**-xXXXXx-**

"You did a very good job for someone who was not only on her first day, but also with a sore back," Andrew told Melissa as she came out of the Crown Game Center.

"Thanks, but it's no big deal," Melissa answered. "I needed the work."

"I would've understood if you couldn't work because of it. You seemed to be in some pain."

"I'll be fine. I don't like sitting still. I did too much of that with the last job I had."

Andrew hummed in thought. "What did you do last time?"

"Some office work. Can't remember the name of the company, but it was too much of sitting on my ass. I'm not cut out to be working a desk job, believe me. You should've seen how frustrated I was."

"Tell me about it. I don't get how so many people are fine with that. I guess it's just the money they make."

"I'd rather make ten dollars on my feet for an hour instead of making a hundred at a desk for the same time."

"I don't know. A lot of people say things like that, and then they see the paycheck and suddenly get greedy. You seem to be sincere about it, though, so I won't doubt you. In any case, I have to get back to the counter. I think someone has something they want to redeem. Can't deny them."

Melissa nodded. "See you later, Andrew." He smiled as he went back into the arcade and dismissed his employee.

She began to walk back to her apartment building, though she was fumbling in her pocket rather than looking at where she was walking. She stopped as she pulled out what she was digging for: the slip of paper Avery gave her yesterday. The scribbling was just legible enough for her to read. "Maybe I'll come see you later tonight, Avery. I didn't lie to him; my last job was too much of sitting around waiting for something to happen, and I hated every moment of it. If only he knew that it wasn't an office. I want to hear how you know Rubeus, too. He needs to be stopped."

Melissa put the paper back into her pocket and looked to make sure no cars were coming before she began to cross the street. She could only get a few steps into the road, however, before she heard screeching tires and a roaring engine. She looked to her left to see a car speeding right for her, and it wasn't slowing down. Her eyes darted open. "Oh, _shit_!" She quickly jumped and back-flipped out of the way of the car and onto the sidewalk, just escaping the vehicle's path. Her back was screaming in pain following the flip, though her eyes and mind was fixed on the direction the car was going. It was the same direction she was headed.

"The hell was her problem?" she asked herself. "I can't believe she didn't even honk her horn or anything. It was like she wanted to hit me. Either that or she was so-" She stopped. She immediately realized that she had caught a glimpse of a very familiar figure. "Wait a minute! The girl who was with her. Was that Molly Baker? Wasn't she the same girl that Nephlite fell in love with before Zoycite...no, couldn't be. How could I have possibly thought it was her with how fast she was going? But a car going that fast? And no police are following her, trying to slow her down?" Her eyes narrowed as she looked back for a moment before she began to try to catch up to the car.

**-xXXXXx-**

Melissa finally saw the same red sedan that nearly ran her over in a driveway, next to a white two-story house with a blue shingle roof. "Hmm. Just in a rush to get home? Was it on fire or something?"

She sighed and began to trek back when she heard a voice she recognized cry, "Why do you believe him, mom?" Melissa looked back to the house. Her enhanced hearing could definitely pick up Molly's voice, and though she was firmly against eavesdropping on something that wasn't her business, the way Molly spoke could have had something to do with the car going at the breakneck speed it did. She ducked behind the car as she listened in.

"He's a liar," she heard Molly sob. "He's no teacher. He's a fraud. You're too gullible, mom. Just wait until Miss Haruna comes back. She'll straighten this all out."

The name Molly dropped nearly made Melissa blow her cover as she couldn't keep a gasp from escaping her. '_Miss Haruna? She must mean Patrica. Who's this 'he', though?_'

"Molly," she heard another voice call out, "you need to be doing your homework. There's no way you could be doing it with all that fake crying. Don't try it, or you'll have the restriction for two months instead of one."

'_Restriction? One month? The hell would Molly ever do to deserve it? That isn't fake, either. I know it isn't. This woman's convinced that Molly's a slacker. And I thought my parents were tough on my education._'

Melissa heard more sobbing over the fumbling of papers and the loud thud of books, the latter of which she could've sworn she didn't need her heightened sense of hearing to be able to pick up.

"You wanna try me, Molly?" Miss Baker yelled. "Slam those books again and see what happens!"

'_Lady, let her express her anger. Why make her have to suppress it? At the very least ignore it._'

"How can you hear the truth if you won't even listen, mom? He brainwashed you."

"Mister Koa wouldn't lie to me. No teacher would ever lie to a parent about their child's studies, or did you forget that? Now shut up and begin your damn homework, now!"

'_No teacher would lie to a parent? The hell kind of failed logic is that? And she's right, Miss Baker. When did you ever become the most knowledgeable woman in the world?_'

Melissa inched a few steps closer to the house, running up to the side of the building. She pressed her back up against the siding, right below where she was hearing Molly's voice.

"He already has," Molly whispered. "He has since the day he became certified as a teacher."

Melissa knew that Miss Baker would never hear that low of a whisper; at least, she hoped she wouldn't. '_Why does she hate...?_' Melissa's thoughts were interrupted by a glimpse of something she thought she saw out of the corner of her eye. She whipped her head to her left, towards the street. Although she saw nothing, she could've sworn she did. Maybe Miss Baker knew she was there. She didn't want to risk being seen here, especially when she valued others' privacy to begin with. There was someone else that she was thinking she could have seen, and that horrified her even more. '_Rubeus, don't you dare try it!_' She realized that she couldn't risk anymore time there, though she didn't want to leave them unprotected in case it was indeed Rubeus that she sensed was there. She looked towards the street one more time to make sure no one was there before making her way over a chain link fence at the back of the house and into an alley, speeding off before she could be seen by anyone.

**-xXXXXx-**

"You mean you trust Melissa now, too?" Raye asked Lita as the Sailors gathered inside the Hikawa Shrine.

"Yes," Lita answered. "We really have no reason not to, do we?"

"Of course we do," Luna yelled angrily. "In case you forgot, she was the one who trashed the Moon Kingdom. She's been a slimy woman for years, and she knows how to snake her way into any sort of plan. I don't think she would just turn her back on something she has been trying to accomplish for the longest time."

"She sounds sincere enough," Serena responded as she rose to her feet. "The time I spent with her yesterday made me think that her intentions were sound and true, though I don't know how she could accomplish them. We're having issues with Rubeus already. I don't know how she could change our fortunes."

"It would be like you to blindly trust someone, Serena. You have before."

"And I've never been wrong before, either, Luna. I know a good heart when I see one, and I think Melissa has one. It was corrupted by whoever was brainwashing her, but I owe her my life after the blow she took for me."

"Well," Raye said, "I'm not ready to trust her just yet. I don't think I ever can."

Lita growled as she listened to that statement. "I know you wouldn't, Raye. You have a hard time trusting anyone."

"All right, girls," Casto yelled. "Regardless of whether or not we can trust her, we need her right now. She provides a lot of knowledge on what Rubeus is planning. If we can at least keep her on our side long enough to see what Rubeus would want to do with the Hizrounswa beside just kill us, then we might be at an advantage, even if it's a trap."

"I agree with Casto," Artemis added. "It didn't seem as though Rubeus liked her any, either, so at least on that front, we can trust her."

"What do you mean, Artemis?" Mina asked.

"If Que...I mean, _Melissa_ Beryl and Rubeus were at war with each other in the Dark Kingdom, then it's a safe bet that she won't like him outside of it, either."

"It could've been a trap set by both of them," Raye replied.

"I don't think it is," Amy said. "Casto said many times that Rubeus likes to flaunt. He cares about nothing but himself. He's made no secret about his plans, either. I agree with Artemis: it doesn't feel like a trap, at least as far as him and Beryl are concerned."

A knock at the door interrupted anymore of the conversation. Casto rose to his feet and walked over to the sliding door. "Who's there?"

"It's Melissa," said the female voice on the other end.

"My lord," Luna gasped. "How did she know where we gather?"

"It's not like it's a secret that this place is here and we visit it, Luna," Serena said. "Melissa, come on in!"

The sliding door opened, revealing the tall red-haired woman Serena was talking about. "Thanks. I heard what you said, too, Luna. Jedite found out about this place, in case you forgot. That and I remember Rubeus talking about it a few times. I'm sorry if I'm intruding."

"You're damn right you..."

"No you're not, Melissa," Serena said, interrupting Raye. "We were talking about you, actually."

"I heard my name being discussed, but didn't really hear anything else but my name."

"How did you hear us?" Artemis asked. "This Shrine is not kind to letting other people outside of these walls hear anyone inside."

"I have acute hearing. If I'm close to a place and I choose to, I can listen in on anything I need to. Trust me, I didn't intend on eavesdropping on you. In fact, something I value is others' privacy."

Raye's eyebrows lowered. "Then you could've heard that we don't trust you and we never will."

"That was to be expected. Though I wish you guys could. At least enough for me to be able to help you in defeating Rubeus."

"Raye was half-right, actually," Serena said. "Me and Lita both trust you. I'm sure all of us will in due time."

"Thank you, Serena. I hope you trust me enough to believe me that I might've seen Rubeus."

Serena's eyes shot open. "Where?"

"Near Molly's house."

"Oh, my God! How did you know where she lived?"

"I almost got ran over today by her mother. She flew past me like a bat out of hell, and I wanted to make sure nothing was wrong. I followed the car to her house. My God, they were angry with each other."

"Wait," Luna interrupted, "if you value others' privacy, then how did you know..."

"Not sure how anyone couldn't with the way they were yelling at each other. It was like they were inviting people to listen in. Plus, I wanted to make sure everything was all right. If they were running from something, I wanted to be able to protect them."

"Did nothing but go back on your word there!"

"Yes, I know, and I'm very sorry for it, but a few minutes later I saw someone else there, I could've sworn to it. I thought at first it was her mother, but my mind shifted to Rubeus being there."

"Maybe your curiosity is helpful after all," Amy said. "If you weren't there, you wouldn't have seen the possible danger."

"I agree," Mina added. "We should check it out."

"If you saw him there, though," Raye asked, "then why didn't you do anything?"

"I didn't want to cause a scene there, for one. And plus, I didn't know for certain that it was him. I didn't want to act on something that I could've been wrong about."

"Strength in numbers doesn't hurt, either," Casto answered. "Plus, remember what Rubeus holds. Melissa has a lot of magical power, and Rubeus has been pretty accurate with firing that damn weapon."

"I don't care what you guys say," Serena yelled. "If he's there and is going to threaten Molly, I'm going to make sure he pays dearly."

"Wait, Serena," Melissa called out. "It was me who found him there, and I want to be able to help you. I'll come with you."

"Thanks, but this is my..."

"Bullshit, Serena! After everything you've done to help me with moving on with my life, and meeting new friends, it's my obligation to help you out. Besides, I've got a bone to pick with Miss Baker now. I'm going back on my word about privacy for this one. I heard something about this new substitute for Patricia. I didn't like what I heard. Finally...I owe this to Molly, after her being one of the first victims I went after."

"I may not trust her," Raye said, "but I agree with her about all of us being needed there."

'_New teacher,'_ Casto thought. '_So she has now heard about Mister Koa. Maybe that eavesdropping thing could be what we need to bust him._'

**-xXXXXx-**

Molly was sitting at a small white desk in her bedroom, slowly working on her homework. She had two books open as she was writing on a piece of notebook paper. She tried to keep her mind on her tasks, but instead found herself collapsing her head soon after and crying.

"The hell is wrong with you, mom? I've never seen you as strict as you are being. You never believed anyone so readily before. Not after you were attacked by that monster a long time ago. Why would you believe someone who's already...?"

She was interrupted by a loud knocking sound coming from her bedroom window. She looked over to see no one there. She narrowed her eyes and snorted before turning back to her homework.

"Oh, Molly," she heard a male voice call out, "someone else wants to have a word with you."

"Who's there?" she asked, whipping her head around to see a tall, red-headed male floating at her window. "Oh, my God!"

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Rubeus, and I've got the strangest suspicion that a little jolt from my gun right here will make you squirm in pain." He put a hand to his waist and pulled out the Hizrounswa Gun that he had Drillbit make for him.

"Mother, help!" Molly yelled as she grabbed her desk chair and hold it like a lion tamer, with the legs towards the figure at the window.

"Nonsense, Molly," she heard her mother yell back. "You should've asked earlier before you got in trouble with Mister Koa."

"Mother! There's a guy at my window threatening to..." Molly tried to say as loud and as quick as she could. She was stopped by Rubeus firing his gun at her. It hit the seat of the chair and nearly burnt a hole right through it.

"Don't you dare try to get out of doing your homework that way, Molly! You don't want me coming up there and making you do that work!"

"She isn't going to help you, Molly!" Rubeus smirked. "You should just accept your fate. You can't escape it!"

'_The hell, mom?_' Molly tried once more. "Mother, I need you to come up here! Someone's trying to kill me!"

"You really expect me to believe you after you lied to me about actually doing any work?"

"Mom, I'm being dead serious!" Molly ran to the foot of her bed and ducked down to try to escape her attacker. "This man is firing a gun at me! Do you not hear it?"

"I only hear you doing your damnest to get out of cracking open those books!"

'_She can't be serious! She can't possibly have become so dense._'

"Molly, why hide from what could be your best moment?" Rubeus continued to yell. "Your mother will have the opportunity to look right at your dead body and think that you chose the easy way out. How grand would that be?"

"Leave her alone, Rubeus!" he heard a familiar female voice scream.

Rubeus looked down at his left side to see who it was, "Sailor Moon and the Soldiers! I knew you would come!" He then saw, at the back of the seven-person group, Melissa Beryl. "And I knew she would, too!"

"You lay one hand on her, Rubeus, and I swear on my soul I will rip you apart!"

The trembling of her fist coupled with the tears in her eyes made him smirk. "You know, I don't think Molly knows who you are yet, Sailor Moon!"

'_No,_' Vulture thought, '_he wouldn't dare!_'

As Rubeus floated back to the ground, he kept his gun in his hands as he continued to speak. "Let me ask you something. Would you really want to risk losing your best friend over your secret because of someone your friends cannot trust?"

Melissa snarled, "What do you mean, Rubeus?"

"Ah, so you know I'm referring to you, do you, Queen Beryl?"

"We all trust her, Rubeus!" Jupiter growled.

"Nonsense! How in the hell can anyone trust such a slimy, disgusting snake like Beryl? I thought I could, and look what happened!"

As she saw him walk over to her, Melissa gritted her teeth. "What in the hell do you want, Rubeus? Cut the crap and just tell us!"

"For you to come back to the Dark Kingdom!"

Melissa gasped. "What?"

"Queen Metaria is offering you her forgiveness! Let me see if I heard her right. She said that your new-found defiance could be of great use, and she's offering for you to have full control over the Dark Kingdom. You would no longer have to answer to her. All the Youmas would be yours to control to do whatever you desire. All you have to do is say yes! It's what you wanted, right, Beryl? It's total freedom to cause pain and havoc on Earth and this Universe! You wanted your revenge on who did you wrong! Now is your chance! Of course, if it was up to me, I would just kill you right now, but it isn't up to me! It's up to you!"

"What if she refuses, though?" Amy asked.

Rubeus turned to the genius. "Well, Sailor Mercury, funny you should ask, because if she doesn't, then Molly," he paused to cackle slightly, "well, let's just say she will be told of everything!"

"She would never believe you, Rubeus," Mina screamed. "Molly is scared of you enough as it is!"

"And no matter what, you win," Mars added. "What kind of shit is that?"

"No, Beryl would win! Trust me, Beryl, it will be worth your while! Total freedom, and I know that the Youmas will make sure she holds to her word! They hate her with a damn passion. What will it be, Beryl? I have to get back soon, so I need an answer now if you want to get this over with quickly!"

Melissa seethed as she turned her head away from everyone. It was a move that worried Serena. '_No, Melissa. Don't believe him! Don't go back there!_'

"Rubeus," Melissa began.

'_I knew it,'_ Mars thought, '_it was too good to be true. She's going to go back._'

"Miss Beryl," Rubeus grinned, "I need an answer! Don't forget, Molly's been her friend for years. You haven't even spent a week getting to know her. Who do you think she would rather keep as a goddamn friend? Wouldn't be one she just met!"

'_Damn you, Rubeus!'_ Moon said in her mind as she clenched her fist once more. She even felt her toes curl up inside her boots in an effort to keep herself from lunging after him. '_I love both of them equally. It doesn't matter how long I've had them as friends._'

Melissa, however, looked back at Rubeus with a wide smile.

"Oh, my God!" Artemis gasped.

"There we go!" Rubeus cheered. "You are making the right..."

Rubeus didn't see her hand glowing. None of them did. Melissa took her left hand and whipped it at Rubeus. A steady stream of purple lightning shot out from the hand as Rubeus flew backwards until his back collided with the sidewalk.

"Go to Hell, Rubeus!" Melissa growled loudly. "And take Metaria with you! I'm never coming back! Only way you're taking me is if you shoot me with that damn crystal and kill me first!"

"You made a grave mistake, Melissa!" Rubeus growled as he got back to his feet. "You know what this means for her and Molly, right?"

"You won't ever get the chance, Rubeus! Unless you want to bring one of your lackey Youmas to come and do your work for you!"

"I know how to get to her!" Rubeus eyed the bedroom window and knew that if he could just get the correct angle, he could get a shot into the window. There was already a gunshot crack on the glass. He might've been able to break it with another shot.

However, as he was ready to pull the trigger, he felt a sharp kick on his wrist. He was able to keep a hold of his gun, though he had to step back to regain his footing. He snarled as he laid his eyes on Mini Moon as he did so.

"We all protect each other, no matter who it is that's helping us," Mini Moon exclaimed. "I will protect them in the name of the future Moon!"

"Bratty child," he sneered. "She will find out, one way or another! Queen Beryl has damned you again, Sailor Moon!"

"Not much of a fighter when you're outnumbered, are you..._Rub_?" Melissa snickered.

Rubeus roared and readied his gun. He pointed it at Melissa and was ready to pull the trigger.

"Is somebody there?" he suddenly heard come from the front door. Miss Baker was coming outside, and Rubeus was going to be the first person she would see if she opened the door right now.

Within seconds, he vanished suddenly, just in time for her to miss him completely as she opened the door to see the Sailors and Melissa standing there, eying her.

"So, it's just you guys responding to a fake call by my daughter," Miss Baker said. "I apologize for the bother. My daughter was trying to get out of doing her homework by screaming bloody murder."

"She wasn't faking it, ma'am," Vulture answered. "There was someone coming after her. We warded him off right before you opened the door."

"So you're taking her side? I didn't hear anything happen out here."

'_Is she deaf?_' Melissa thought as she could feel her anger begin to erupt.

"We don't take any sides, ma'am," Venus answered.

"I didn't hear any of you guys attack him with your magic or anything like that. You're lying!"

"No, we're not," Jupiter growled.

"Yeah," Mini-Moon added. "Why would we lie to anyone?"

"Because Molly is becoming one sneaky girl!"

Melissa could feel every ounce of her being becoming irate. She had never felt like this before, and she tried desperately to bite her tongue. However, just two seconds after she heard Miss Baker call Molly sneaky, she lost all sense of control and approached her with a hint of anger in her step.

"How dare you?" Melissa hissed. "She was up there scared for her damn life and all you can do is to accuse her of lying to you?"

"How do you know she was?"

"How could you not hear her, Miss Baker? A man was shooting at her, trying to kill her, for God sakes! What the hell kind of mother do you call yourself just ignoring everything?"

"She's been lying to me about her school work, miss! I cannot accept that! A teacher wouldn't lie to me about that!"

"That teacher is human like you and me! You believe some teacher that you've never met before in your life above your own goddamn daughter? You sicken me with that behavior!"

"Melissa," Mina yelled, "enough!"

Melissa ignored her and continued, "This is why the Dark Kingdom, or whatever these Sailors called them, was able to get control of you like they did! You are too damn gullible for your own good! Why don't you talk with her and ask what the problem is instead of thinking that you have all the damn answers?" Melissa was nearly in Miss Baker's face as she talked.

"Melissa!" Vulture screamed. "Please, don't do anything stupid!"

"You got some nerve to question my parental abilities!"

"After what I've been hearing, how can I not? I don't know how much of a parent you were to her before, but you damn sure are failing as a mother right now!"

Miss Baker responded by pulling back a hand and whipping it around to try to slap Melissa. However, Melissa saw it and grabbed her wrist out of the air, using all her strength and anger to keep her from following through. Although she was halfway ignoring them, Melissa was, in the back of her mind, begging the Sailors to stop her, because she knew what her next move would've been, and she was not about to regret doing so. Baker became physical with her, and she never let anyone get away with physically threatening her before. Melissa had a fist ready as she continued to hold Miss Baker's wrist. She could feel this woman fighting to break her hand free just to try to slap her again. The other hand could've slapped her, too, but Melissa would've been ready for it.

Finally, Sailor Moon ran over and grabbed Melissa by the arm and stomach. "Melissa, it isn't worth it! C'mon!"

The soft and comforting yet firm grip that her friend had made Melissa drop Miss Baker's wrist and step back from her.

"You monster!" Miss Baker yelled. "Don't you dare come anywhere near me or my daughter again!"

"You would rather see your child die than have us save her?" Melissa harked.

"She was in no danger!"

"The hell she wasn't, you _bitch_!"

"Look who's talking while calling _me_ a bitch!"

"If you were any other person, I would kill..."

"_Melissa_!" Moon cried. "C'mon, just leave her!"

Jupiter helped Moon turn Melissa as the group began to walk away from the house and back towards the Shrine.

"What the hell was that about?" Luna scolded. "You had no right to do that, Melissa!"

"I couldn't help it," Melissa answered both somberly and angrily. "She doesn't deserve to call herself a mother right now!"

"But that's not up to you to try to correct her," Artemis added. "We were there to stop Rubeus, not to give a parenting lesson!"

"You're right, Artemis! I got out of line there!"

"Nonsense, Melissa," Jupiter objected. "Artemis, I think she did the right thing!"

Luna stopped dead in her tracks. The others stopped as they saw her do so. "What?"

"She may have gotten carried away, but she was correct. Miss Baker should be ashamed of herself for not even making sure."

"Yes, that did seem weird," Moon said. "She's usually quite understanding and not one to just fall for such a thing. She's never been that tough on Molly, either. She's usually pretty lenient and easygoing."

"Whoever this Mister Koa is," Mercury stated, "he seems to be pretty convincing."

"But it still gives Melissa no right to attack her like she did," Mars objected.

"On the contrary. If I was in Molly's position and my mother didn't believe a word I said no matter what, I would want Melissa on my side. You sometimes need someone to tell you the truth for you to realize it."

"So you think Miss Baker is a horrible mother?"

"At that point in time, she was being one, yes. I don't think I would've had the guts to do what Melissa almost did, but I wouldn't have been afraid to tell her how idiotic she was acting."

"Thanks, Mercury," Melissa grinned as they began to walk once more.

**-xXXXXx-**

Back at the Hikawa Shrine, Melissa stood outside. She leaned on one of the bigger trees that was right near the walkway, on the right hand side. It was a huge oak tree that marked the halfway point between the steps and the Shrine, and it was one that was becoming very comfortable for her as she laid her head back against the bark.

"You all right?" she heard Serena ask. She looked slightly over to see her pigtailed friend head over to her.

"I think so," Melissa answered as she put her head back onto the trunk. "Luna was right; I didn't have any business in what Molly's going though."

"You had good intentions. I didn't know it was that bad."

"She was never like that, Serena. You're right in her usually being a good mother. I've never seen her like that when we were controlling her."

Serena hung her head. "I know you don't think too many people like you, but I do. I think you've convinced Amy, too. She told me she thinks you're sincere."

Melissa's body left the bark as she locked her eyes with Serena's. "Thank her for me. I have to get back home. There's someone I have to meet tonight. Hopefully she'll tell me more about what he's like."

"You mean you're going to take up Avery's invitation?"

"Yes. Rubeus was trying to recruit me back. I want to know why he's suddenly taking this turn. He never liked me, and I returned that hatred. I want to know why he and Metaria tried to do that." She put a hand on Serena's shoulder. "Don't worry. I know they were scared that I was going to take his offer. I've already made that mistake once. I'm not about to do that again. Metaria has ruined everything I've ever worked for. She's taken advantage of me countless times, and has made me do things that I never thought I had any capacity to do. I'm never going back to that wretch." Serena could see Melissa shed a few tears as she finished, "She's ruined my life enough. I won't allow her to do any more to me."

Serena smiled at the teary Melissa. "If he tries to do it again, you know who you have as a friend. I'll be there for you no matter what."

"I don't want you to have to sacrifice your friendship with Molly for me."

"He's going to pay for putting you in such a tough spot."

"I know you've been revealing your identity to a lot of people, but I don't know how Molly will take it if you tell her. She's gone through so much."

"My friendship with her goes way back, and this is the only thing I've kept from her. I don't know if I should tell her or not. Telling my family was one thing, but my best friend is another."

"If I endangered it any by making that decision..."

"I'm not going to blame you. It's something I've been trying to decide for a long time now. I'm getting a bit sick of fighting with whether or not I should. I want to make the decision soon."

"If you need help, I'll be able to talk to you about it. I've made several tough decisions, some I would rather forget about. I know what that's like. I must go. My back is beginning to act up again. Not sure how I blocked the pain out earlier."

Serena nodded and the two shared an embrace near the oak tree that Melissa had been resting on earlier. After a few seconds, Melissa broke it off and made her way down the Shrine steps towards the sidewalk.

"Hey, Serena," she heard from behind her. Serena turned around from watching Melissa exit to see Reenie running up to her.

"What's up?"

The pink-haired child looked to the steps. "She'll be fine. She looks like she's a tough nut to crack."

"I hope so. She seems bothered by interjecting herself in Molly's problems. Though I think Molly welcomed the help."

"You know I wouldn't put up with that kind of stuff from anyone."

Serena suddenly narrowed her eyes. "Where was Darien? I just realized that it was you who made the last second save instead of him. I told him to come help us. What gives?"

"Oh, yeah," Reenie exclaimed, "I was about to tell you about that. He told me to go ahead in his place."

Serena's anger grew a bit. "What the hell was he doing?"

"Trying to call the police to help out."

The news made Serena curious. She remembered what she was told by Doctor Mesta earlier today. "No police as always to help us out, right?"

"He told me just a moment ago that he was arguing with them for a full hour about who should be responsible for taking care of the disturbance. I even tried calling them. Serena," Reenie said, sighing heavily, "they got several calls about the incident today. I heard the rings while I was talking to them. I'm sure it was about your battle with Rubeus. I heard someone say something about gun shots through a window by a floating man. I didn't get anywhere from it because he was telling me that the Sailors were already taking good care of him, thus they didn't have to do anything about it."

"So the doc was right. They are depending on us to do their work."

"Serena, we have to do something about this. We can't do their work and our own."

The leader Sailor knelt down to look Reenie in the eye. "Are you sure you were hearing everything correctly? I believe you, but I want to be certain that's what you heard."

"Yes. It's the reason Darien isn't here right now. I think he's still on the phone with them. His number's been busy all day. He doesn't know we're back here yet."

"Reenie, I trust you. Tell the others that I'm going to Darien's apartment."

As Serena rose to her feet and began to walk down the steps, Reenie scurried off after her. "Serena, wait! Why?"

"I think it's time we got to the bottom of this. My mother was right all along about the police, and I should've listened to her all along."

**-xXXXXx-**

"Queen Metaria," Rubeus sulked as he faced the orange egg once more, "as you can see, I wasn't that successful at getting Queen Beryl to rejoin us."

A series of bubbles rose upwards within the edifice. "It was the wrong time to have the other Sailors there to make sure she had enough of a foundation to reject our offers. We'll just have to sweeten the deal next time."

"I still don't understand. Why do you want her back?"

"No one else can hear us?" As Rubeus shook his head, Metaria continued, "She possesses a lot of shadow energy. I need for her to use as much as I can get her to exploit. When she is at the peak of her energy, that's when we can kill her, and then, I can absorb her energy. Then I can escape from this prison I'm in now, and the fun can really begin. To make her use the energy, though, I need her to become the Queen of the Dark Kingdom once more. She used so much of it when in that chair."

"Because of the tiara you had her wear to give her more energy?"

"It did more than heighten her magical abilities. It became a part of her soul. She was unstoppable with the tiara on, and if I can get her to reclaim that tiara and use her magic enhanced with that piece of jewelry, she'll be the perfect fit."

Rubeus grew an evil smile. "Basically, you want to achieve your goal by killing the one person who used to help you get that energy! Now I see why you want her to come back!"

"And now you see why I didn't want you to kill her right away."

"Yes," he answered with a nod. "As long as I can kill her in the end."

"I would let you have that honor, Rubeus. You've been more than helpful in the Dark Kingdom's cause."

"It'll be harder than it looks, though. It seems like some of the Sailors are starting to trust her a bit more. And even those who don't trust her put their differences with her aside to get the job done. We may have to be careful about this process."

"I saw what happened today. It was a good strategy, but they seemed to be ready for it. I don't think they will expose their distrust that easily. Plus, there was something new with Beryl that even I never saw before. She's learning how to be patient with things. She would've gone steadfast into hitting you with that beam, but she waited for the right time, when you least expected it."

"It hurt, too!"

"She's tough, believe me. She wasn't that easy to corral the first time. But I may have a plan around it. I know you hate that child for breaking up your plan with Sailor Moon's mother."

Rubeus was reminded, all right. The issues with Ikuko and how he was able to make everything begin. "She would've still been in my court had that brat not intervened!"

"Well, she's done more than her fair share of damage to my plans. She doesn't know much about the history the Sailors and Beryl have. This all started when she learned of you attacking her for the first time, right?"

Rubeus' eyes widened. "Yeah, you're right. Her metamorphosis started when Malachite told her of me trying to kill that little bitch!"

"We can use this to our advantage. Trust me, once we take care of Reenie the way I think we can, the Sailors won't ever want to see Queen Beryl again."

"You have me interested. Tell me more!"

With a smirk on his face, Rubeus listened in as Metaria began to explain her plan to him.

**-xXXXXx-**

Was this the apartment? It was a few floors up from where Melissa was staying, and it was also on the other side of the building. It was somewhat out of the way, but the blue carpets and walls didn't give any sense of where she actually was in the building. It was 6B, that she knew, though she didn't know what 6B would give her. Avery, hopefully, was home tonight. Melissa didn't want to stand her up in any way, and this was important to her in more ways than one.

With all the prayers in the world coming quietly from her lips and mind, Melissa put her hand to the door and knocked. Five thuds later, she put her hand back to her side and waited. She remembered waiting in such a nervous way before, though she couldn't for the life of her remember where or when she did so. She didn't know what to expect, if anything.

However, just a few seconds later, she could hear the steady footsteps of someone coming to the door. They got louder with every step, and before Melissa could begin to remember the past, she was met with the present: Avery opened the door, and Melissa saw a very content smile on the woman's face.

"Melissa," the brown-haired female cheered, "what's up?"

"Avery, was it?"

"Yes! Umm..."

"I want to talk to you about him."

"Who do you...ohh, you mean _him_." Avery looked over the hallway before her eyes met Melissa's once more. "Come on in. We have a lot to talk about."

Melissa entered the door as Avery shut and locked it. Only the sounds of footsteps leaving the door could be heard until they stopped, there was a moment of silence, and then they began their conversation.

* * *

This took even longer than I thought. It was only because I got caught up with some other things. I hope you won't mind the added lengths between chapters from here on out, as I may take a bit longer to write some of these. Hopefully it will lead to better reading experiences for you in the end.

Again, shout out to youroctober for the patience and the betaing.

Until next time, good night, and good luck.


	9. Wrath Of Rubeus

WAR GAMES  
CHAPTER 9  
Wrath Of Rubeus

Written by Darkpower  
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)

* * *

Melissa Beryl had entered Avery's apartment on an invite she had gotten the day before. When she stepped foot through the door she immediately took heed of the white couch near a door to what appeared to be one of two bedrooms and the bathroom. The kitchen was through an open archway to her left as she came out of the small hallway that opened off from the front door. The clear night could be seen through a sliding glass door that also led to a balcony.

As Melissa walked further into the living room, she saw not only Avery but three other women who were inspecting her with their eyes. One had long, navy blue hair and eyes, another had short, green hair; and the third woman had light blue hair that was equally short. The first two were just as tall as Melissa was, while the third was an inch shorter than the others.

"Was this the woman you were talking about, Avery?" the green-haired woman asked.

"Yes. I was told that she's also been victim to Rubeus' ways," Avery answered. "Her name is Melissa."

The stalky blue-haired woman approached Melissa. "Don't worry about us. We're friendly." The bold but calm voice that Melissa heard made her feel less inclined to be at her guard. "My name's Catsy, and these two are Prisma," she continued, pointing to the green-haired woman. She moved her finger to the short, light blue-haired girl, "and that's Birdie. We made our home here after Sailor Moon and the Sailor Soldiers freed us from the grips of the Black Moon."

Melissa's eyes narrowed. "Black Moon?"

"Have a seat, Melissa," Avery said. "There's a lot we need to tell you about."

Melissa sat down near the far arm of the couch and folded her legs on the seat as Avery sat next to her.

"The Black Moon," Catsy began, "was the group we were a part of in the future. We didn't come from this time, and neither did Rubeus."

"I remember Rubeus telling me that he came from the thirtieth century when we first met," Melissa responded. "And that he was charged with getting the Silver Crystal for this Doom..."

"Doom Phantom," Birdie finished. "That name continues to give me chills."

"Who was he?"

"We never found out where he came from," Prisma answered, "but Rubeus is right in what he desired, though we don't know why he wanted it, either. Our family thought that Neo-Queen Serenity had betrayed them and exiled them onto a rouge moon known as Nemesis. We were the four sisters of that moon that was in the thirtieth century."

Birdie lifted herself off of the beige wall that she was leaning against and walked up beside Prisma, who was standing in the center of the room. "In reality, it was the Doom Phantom planting fake thoughts of betrayal into the minds of everyone living on Nemesis."

"Hold on," Melissa interrupted. "What exactly were the crimes?"

"For why we were exiled onto Nemesis in the first place? Oh, I'm not even sure anymore, since the Doom Phantom messed with our minds over what the actual story was. Neo-Queen Serenity purified the planet, and because of it, anything that wasn't pure was exiled. I'm not sure how any of them or us got caught in that whole thing."

"It was because of the person we met a few days beforehand," Catsy added. "He was related to the Black Moon Family, though he never told us how. All of them had good intentions, but their means weren't so pure. He called himself Crimson Rubeus, and he told us to stick by him and we would be able to live happier and longer. He swore to protect us from anything that tried to harm us. For the most part, he was truthful, but from the start, he seemed to be different from anyone else in his family. He didn't care if he killed anyone in the process of his so-called protection."

Avery nodded slightly before turning to the ever attentive Melissa. "The other members of the Black Moon were still with their good intentions, even after being brainwashed by the Doom Phantom. Rubeus, however, was much different. I don't think he ever had any good intentions. In fact, I don't believe he was even related to the family. He convinced all of us that the people on Earth in our time were the enemies and that Serenity exiled us intentionally."

Melissa listened on as a tear formed in her eye. "How did you know that she didn't mean to get you in that cleansing?"

"It was a catch-all thing," Prisma answered. "At least that's what we think. We actually don't know the whole story. We believe it's because of Rubeus' evil intentions and us being with him that caused our undoing."

"So guilty by association?"

"We don't know for sure," Avery said, "but that's basically it."

"How do _you_ know Rubeus?" Birdie asked Melissa. "What got _you_ to hate him?"

Melissa gave a heavy sigh before answering. "Rubeus came into this Dark Kingdom of mine, and..."

"Oh, my God!" Catsy gasped. "You mean you're_ the_ Queen Beryl? The one the Doom Phantom was bragging about being a legend or something?"

"Before you kick me out or anything, I'm not proud of what I did in the past. I'm far from a legend. I'm insulted by him thinking I would have the right to be called one because of my past."

"Not at all. We would never think of kicking you out. In fact, I think we forgot to mention what eventually happened to the world in our time. The Doom Phantom got the Black Moon to bring Crystal Tokyo, what we called the kingdom on Earth in that time, to ruin, and Neo-Queen Serenity was placed in an eternal sleep. Her daughter came to this time in order to find Sailor Moon and the Silver Crystal to save her mother. So, as you can see, we have more in common with you than you might think."

"I wouldn't want anyone to be in the same boat I was in. You do know what I did, right?"

"Destroy the Moon Kingdom and the Silver Millennium," Prisma answered. "The Doom Phantom never shut up about it. We knew there was more to the story than what we were told. The only one who wanted to know more of it was Rubeus. Go figure, right?"

"Anyway, he came to my kingdom and told me that he was looking for this death crystal called the Hizrounswa. He said that it had the power to kill the Sailors in one hit. He wanted my help to find it in exchange for him helping me find the Silver Crystal. Little did I know that his evil was unlike anything I've ever seen. He wanted to kill this kid named Reenie."

"Reenie? That's the kid who escaped from Crystal Tokyo to find the Silver Crystal in this time. Rubeus has been trying to get her for some time, so it's no surprise that he still wants to kill her."

"I wouldn't have it. It made me think of where I stood with my morals, and the woman who influenced me to take the route that I did was encouraging him to do more. I have to thank him for making me take a long look at myself."

"You think you're free from this woman's rule over you?" Avery asked.

"I hope so. She ruined the kingdom I used to reside over, and ruined my life. She caught me when I was at my lowest point, and took advantage of my sorrow. I said enough was enough, and I want to keep Rubeus from doing the unthinkable."

"Avery was telling us that he was still alive," Birdie stated. "That's why I'm scared of what could happen. He may want to get us back."

"No, he hasn't told me anything about you four. Though he was trying to recruit me back today."

"The Hizrounswa," Catsy hummed. "I think I saw something about it before on the spacecraft we were on while we were aligned with Rubeus. It could explode someone's magic from within their bodies or something like that."

"Yeah, and various levels of intensity, from what I heard."

"I wonder if that could've been a reason now why the Silver Crystal cleansed us," Prisma said. "Maybe because of the Hizrounswa reacting to the clean sweep it did and getting some with those who were half pure."

"Didn't Diamond have a dark crystal?" Avery asked.

"It wasn't the same one," Catsy answered. "The Doom Phantom got that thing from Nemesis. I don't know where the Hizrounswa came from. It wasn't Diamond's."

"Forged from the fires of Hell itself," Melissa interjected. "That's what I heard from Rubeus."

Birdie cocked an eyebrow. "Melissa, you said something about Rubeus doing the unthinkable. What would that be?"

"He doesn't want to capture the Silver Crystal. He wants to shatter it."

"My God!"

"That's something like what the Doom Phantom wanted to do, I think," Catsy said.

Prisma, however, shook her head and hummed in disagreement. "No, he wanted to absorb the crystal's power into his dark crystal. Everyone just thought he wanted to destroy it. Even some of the people on Crystal Tokyo who documented what they saw out of the Doom Phantom got that all wrong. Even he didn't want to shatter it."

"One of my Generals," Melissa added, "told me that they saw some post-apocalyptic image of the future. It was what he said would happen if the events that take place now continue to run their course. That's before I learned of Rubeus' intentions."

Catsy pivoted on one of her heels as she was trying to hide her fright. "I don't think I should say this, but something inside of me tells me that our futures are changing as we speak."

"What are you talking about?" Birdie asked with a hand near her bottom lip.

"The time we were in before Rubeus escorted us here: that was the future without us coming here and making the Sailors aware of our stories. Melissa brought up a very good point. Neo-Queen Serenity might think twice before doing the cleansing of the world because she knows what that might do to us. We might think twice before siding with Rubeus, changing all of what happens to us now."

"Really deep," Avery answered. "And you're also telling us that Rubeus is trying to make you return to your evil ways. He's never been that determined before."

"It scares me that he's gotten that damn thing," Catsy continued. "He could just force you to return to his side or else fire it right at you. Sadly, I only know so much about the crystal. I've only heard about it. I never knew it existed until now."

"Rubeus also has the full support of my former master. I don't doubt for a second that she was the one who told him to go and try to convince me to return. He even tried to blackmail us by threatening to tell one of Serena's friends that she's Sailor Moon." Melissa laid a hand on her palm and began to quiver. "I don't know if I should've risked her friendship. Maybe I should've went with Rubeus and tried to take her on from within. I don't want her to lose anything else."

Avery laid a hand on Melissa shoulder. "Nonsense! You deserve your freedom. Everyone deserves a second chance."

"I'm scared that he might try something else to get me back. Something I'm not going to be ready for."

"It's a good thing you found us, then," Birdie said. "We'll make sure you don't get caught without any support. We know more about Rubeus than you might since we've been around him longer."

"Yes, Melissa," Catsy added. "If there's anything you need to understand about Rubeus' tactics, come to us and let us know. We can help you, and we can also use the information. He might not want just you now that he has the Hizrounswa."

"He won't get any of you four," Melissa said. trembling. "I swear on my life."

"And he'll have to kill us in order to get to you," Prisma said.

"No! I don't want you to sacrifice yourselves for me."

"We need to stick together, though."

Melissa's head came up as she looked at her newfound friends. "I thank you for the offer, and I'll make sure you stay safe." She rose to her feet as she made her way to the door. "I do have to get going, though. I have to get some sleep, and a battle with one of my former monsters gave me a sore back that I'm trying to heal up."

Avery walked to the door with her, and her sisters followed. "We'll be here if you need anything at all. Remember, don't be afraid to ask for the help."

"Same here. If you need mine, just let me know."

Avery nodded as Melissa opened the door and walked out. "See you later, Melissa."

Melissa looked back before smiling. She then nodded as she walked to the stairwell and downstairs.

"You think she can be trusted?" Prisma asked.

"Yes," Avery answered. "Serena trusts her, and you know she has a very good eye and heart."

"I know. It's just...if Rubeus gets to her, I don't know if she will be able to resist his temptation. He's a slimy one."

"No, he will not get her back," Catsy growled. "She's very determined to keep him from brainwashing her, and if he tries, we'll know what to do. We also know who we've got as friends."

**-xXXXXx-**

"Metaria," Rubeus said to the giant orange egg that was suspended by rocks in front of him, "you have a plan to bring Beryl back to our side?"

"Yes," the raspy voice that emanated from the egg answered. "Though it might be tricky to pull off, I do think we'll be able to make the Sailors think that it was Queen Beryl who killed Reenie."

"Woah," he gasped. "So you want me to frame her for Reenie's death!"

"Exactly! The Sailors love Reenie, but they don't know enough about Beryl. Although it seems as though they are putting their differences aside, you know that cannot last for long with the way they bicker at each other every now and then."

"I think I could plant the seeds for some distrust."

"Keep in mind, also, that Reenie doesn't know anything about Queen Beryl."

"I don't know if that is the case anymore. Beryl was that guardian angel a week or so ago, and they might've told her about the past by now."

"You need to find out if she knows anything about the Silver Millennium. She might've already been taught the basics in the time you told me she came from. In any event, once the Sailors begin to distrust Beryl as much as you say you can get them to, then you make your move."

"All I have to do is to set this gun to delayed fire, and make her hold it for a few seconds while I get her to fire level six at Reenie. After that, it's smooth sailing."

"You have delayed fire on that thing?"

"Drillbit knows how to make a gun! I just discovered it last night. As for the seeds of distrust, I've noticed that Sailor Moon trusted her right away.

"The other Sailors follow her lead, and if Sailor Moon cannot trust Beryl, then the others may not be able to, either."

"Might be the difference," Rubeus said. "Even Reenie will refuse to trust Beryl if her future mother can't."

"I would advise taking a Youma with you to for this one. I believe your failure to have an accomplice with you yesterday might've hurt you in your efforts."

"Since he knows how to make a good gun, maybe Drillbit knows how to fight." Rubeus snickered. "If they think they will get me twice, they've got another thing coming!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Darien could feel his teeth clench as he was in his apartment with the phone at his ear. He paced back and forth in his bedroom angrily with the base of the white phone in one hand and the receiver in the other.

"You don't understand, officer, they can't do this all by themselves. You gotta help them out!"

"And you must understand us," he was hearing a low but audible voice on the other end say, "we are strained enough as it is. We cannot answer calls about weird men that shoot energy balls or whatever we get told about. That's why the Sailors Soldiers are around. They need to help us in making the streets safe. We can take care of the speeders and the robberies. They can take care of the people who shoot those weird things."

"That's the problem," Darien yelled as he stopped pacing. "You're even letting the robberies and the speeders go because you want them to do all the damn work!"

"No, that's your problem. We need all the help we can get. Hell, with the Sailors being able to fight anything, we've even had to lay off some of our force."

"What? How is that a good idea?" As the man continued to argue with Darien, he heard a knock at his door. "Whatever! I've had enough arguing with you. Someone's at my door. Goodbye!" He slammed the phone onto the base before dropping it on his dresser. He then made his way through the living room to the front door.

He opened it to find Serena on the other end. "Reenie told me you were arguing with the police. I believe it now."

Darien's hand fiddled with his hair. "How loud did I get?"

"All of Juuban could hear you!"

"They need to." He looked at his wall clock to see that it was midnight. "Serena, what are you doing here this late, anyway?"

"It's about the people you were screaming at. I think it's time we had a talk about them."

"Well, I don't know if I could this late, and it's something we might need everyone to hear."

Serena sighed as she turned away from him. "It's happening again!"

"What is?"

"Us. We haven't had a chance to just spend time together. That wonderful night we had at the Tower. We've hardly seen each other since then outside of Sailor business or a hospital."

"At least this time we know that we're not trying to avoid each other. But I do still worry about you, Serena."

"I know you do, Darien. I also know you've been trying to help us any way you can, either by being a part of the fight or arguing with the police."

Darien walked out of his door and laid his hands onto her cheeks. "No matter what happens, I'm never going to stop loving you, Serena. You know you have me always."

Serena put her hands to his as she felt the warmth of them on hers'. "You'll always have mine, too, Darien. I just wish there was a better way to show it."

"Well, right now, I think you need to get some rest. You can stay here if you want."

"Thanks, but I have to get back home. Reenie called me on the way over here. She said there was some good news with Sammy. He's walking without the crutch."

Darien's anger and sorrow turned to a bright smile. "Yes! Some more good news."

"I want to see it for myself before I turn in."

"Does he still...?"

"I don't know about that part, but I hear that he's holding less of a grudge. He still thinks our mother could've done something more than she did, though now I don't know if she could've, given what I've heard with you and the police tonight."

"I'll come to the Shrine tomorrow after you get done with school. We can discuss it then."

Serena nodded with a smile before the two shared a deep and passionate kiss. She could feel her body sink into his as he held her close to him before pulling away. It could've lasted forever if they knew they had the time. With one more heavy sigh, Serena turned around and took off.

'_I'm worried about your anger, too,'_ Darien thought. '_Even though you've been able to control it better lately, I don't like this feeling I've been getting. I fear that Rubeus is trying to get your anger to show again._

**-xXXXXx-**

A construction worker was putting a sign on the front door of the school during sunrise that read in all uppercase letters: "NO SCHOOL TODAY DUE TO CONSTRUCTION OF COMPUTER LAB!" at Juuban Middle School. It was the first time in a few weeks that such a day came, though the muscular worker chained the sign to the door as if he knew what such a moment meant to him: too much work. He was promised there would only be a few more days of such occurrences, though each day of true work of the lab felt like an eternity.

As he locked the chain up, he heard a man beckon from behind him, "What do you mean no school today?"

He knew this voice well, and the tone of his low crackling voice told that he didn't exactly want to welcome who owned it. "Mister Harold Koa!" He turned on the heel of his thick steel-toed boots and laid his eyes on the salt-and-pepper-haired teacher. "This is a shock. I didn't know you taught here."

"Took over for Patrica a week ago because she got attacked."

"I heard about that. No one deserved such a beating, and I can't for the life of me imagine what she ever did to piss that guy off."

Koa looked to the sign, not paying any attention to the worker. "What's going on with the school closure?"

"Oh, you mean this," the worker answered as he nodded towards the locked doors. "I'm sure you've noticed that we've been working on a new computer lab for the school. The Health Division ordered that school be closed during days that chemicals were used for the interior of the walls. They don't want to take any chances."

"But this is a day wasted from my students' education."

"I don't know what to tell you, Harold. Safety comes first."

"Education is always important, and those chemicals are harmless. It's not as though you have to do anything the Health Division tells you to do. The School Authority doesn't answer to them."

"But both answer to the government of Tokyo, and if they find out that we were risking kids' lives over anything, they'll have all our asses, and I need my job, thank you!"

"And these kids need their education!" Koa had raised his voice sharply as his face moved closer to the worker's.

"My God, Harold, it's not like you can't do today's lessons tomorrow!"

"There's too much for me to teach them!" It was then that Koa stepped right next to the worker and was screaming right in his face. "I think you know what to do! Open school, or I'll make sure you get fired today!"

The worker gritted his teeth. "Listen here, you cocky, arrogant little prick! First, you'd serve yourself well to back the hell off of me! Second, I'm not going to open shit just because you know how to make threats, which, by the way, is something I can tell the School Authority you just did to me! Not that they would give a rat's ass! Third, in case you can't tell by now, I really don't like you! I've heard what you like to do to your students: overwork them, abuse them, lie about what they've done to you! Hell, I have a feeling you got away with beating up one of your students!" The worker could see Koa's eyes narrow. "Yeah, I hit a nerve, did I? Tell you what: you back off of me and just let this one go, and I'll forget this conversation ever happened! But if you dare try to order me around again, then the shitola's gonna hit the fan _real_ quick!"

"You forget that I was selected by the School Authority, and I speak on their behalf! Open the damn school!"

"Screw you! It's not like you'll be here for much longer anyway! I bet you've heard that Patrica is planning on returning to her classes in a few days! I can't wait until she comes back, not only because I think she's the best damn thing that's ever happened to this school, but now also because I know that her return will mean I won't have to see your face here any longer!"

"Yeah, that's what she thinks..."

"School's closed today?" They heard Miss Baker yell out. Both of them looked to the street to see her in her car, with a very somber Molly in the passenger side.

"Nope!" Koa answered. "He just thinks he controls..."

"Yes it is, ma'am!" the worker interrupted. "Computer lab work. We're putting up the rest of the exterior wall today, so we're working with a lot of chemicals for the insulation that may be harmful for someone to inhale. This is why we have masks in the back that we're required to put on before we work."

"A shame! Molly really needed this day!"

"I can see you're getting her to do what she needs to do, Miss Baker!" Koa said as he walked to the car.

"I'm glad you told me about her troubles! I feel so much has been lifted off of my shoulders now that I've got someone like you who will look after her education when I can't."

"I'll do whatever I can."

"Thanks. It's good to hear that after the crap I had to put up with yesterday."

"Why? What happened?"

The worker kept his mouth shut to listen in as Miss Baker continued, "This woman apparently overheard Molly trying to get out of doing her homework. She kept trying to say that this man was attacking her, and I knew better than to believe that."

"Yeah, Molly's been like that lately!"

'_Like hell I have, you asshole,_' Molly thought.

"Well," Miss Baker sighed, "this woman decided to try to call me out. Told me that I was being a horrible mother because I didn't believe Molly's cries. I don't know where she thought she had the right to tell me about my parenting skills. She even tried to attack me because of what she thought of me."

Mister Koa gasped slightly. "Do you remember what she looked like?"

"Tall, red-haired. Every one of those Sailors kept calling her Melissa or something like that." Miss Baker hummed softly, then continued, "Yeah, her name was Melissa."

"I'll see if I can get a last name for you. Maybe I should actually thank school being closed today, as it'll give me more time to look for this woman. You should get Molly back to her homework since I guess someone wants to keep her from learning today. I'll call you if I find out anything else about this Melissa woman. You said she was with the Sailor Soldiers, right?" Baker nodded to Koa. "Well, then, I'll keep an eye out for anything that would cause them to come out, and she will come out with them. She could be a freak if she is hanging with them."

'_You can't be serious,_' Molly thought. '_If they save your life, you wouldn't think that._'

"Okay," Miss Baker finished, "I'll see you later."

"And don't worry, Miss Baker. You're an excellent mother who cares so much about your child's education. You're showing me that today."

"Thanks. I needed to hear that." The car sped away, leaving Mister Koa as he stood with his hands at his hips.

"Well," he said, "time to get back to work." He walked to the school parking lot.

The construction worker, who fought to keep quiet as he was watching that conversation unfold, told himself after Koa left, "What a liar you are. That's not a good mother. Baker should know better than to just believe him. And what did he mean by 'That's what Patrica thinks'? It's not like he's staying here—at least I hope." He went back to his duties.

However, no one saw that on the other side of the school, around the bend, were Rubeus and Drillbit. Rubeus looked to see that the coast was clear before turning his head back to the side of the school, where Drillbit flanked him while fixing his drill hand.

"School's out today," Rubeus said, "and they said something about harmful chemicals. Drillbit, do you still have that mixing tool of yours that you used to make this gun?"

Drillbit's hand changed into a flat metal plank that extended two feet out. "Yes I do, boss!"

"Yeah, of course you do. You're not like a normal tool box that anyone can lose something in. All right, we just have to find someone that we can make our bait, and then...oh, _bingo_!"

Rubeus caught sight of a boy seeing the sign himself as he walked to the front door. He looked somewhat annoyed as he fixed his glasses, and he overheard the kid saying, "Hope we don't have to make up any of these days later."

"Rubeus," Drillbit asked as he was also looking on, "is that the nerdy kid who hangs around with them?"

"You bet your ass it's Melvin Gurio. He's been smitten with Molly for the longest time, and he's always been a nice kid to Serena, and even to Casto lately, as I've seen. They complain that I have to pick new targets. I think I just found a new one.

**-xXXXXx-**

The Sailor girls—along with Casto—were gathered within the walls of the Hikawa Shrine later in the afternoon, sitting at the table while Darien was standing. Actually, it was more like pacing back and forth throughout the room angrily.

"I was on the phone with them for a few hours straight, and it sounded like I was telling them the same thing over and over again with them asking nothing that they didn't ask me before," Darien told them. "It was like they were purposely stalling me so they didn't have to answer the call."

"They told me that they would take thirty minutes to get to Miss Haruna's house after I called them," Casto added. "We all know Hammerthor prevented them from knowing she was being attacked, but not when I was calling them. Ambulance got there in a flash, but I told them to not bother with the police."

"They never did barricade my house after Rubeus attacked it," Serena said. "I thought that, by then, they would at least be curious to see what all the fuss was about."

"This sounds like serious business," Luna answered. "Did you say that you were told that they want us to solve their problems, Serena?"

"Yes. Doctor Mesta told me that he tried to call the police following us getting Melissa into the hospital. He didn't want to go against my mother's wishes, but it didn't matter anyway. That's when he learned about what they wanted us to do."

"We're stringed up enough as it is," Mina said. "We've got Rubeus running around with what could be the most dangerous weapon known in the Universe. We can't help them solve robberies and hand out parking tickets."

Darien answered with a heavy sigh. "If we only knew how to get through to them, we would be able to get them to help us out every once in a while."

"You know," Amy stated, "after how blunt Melissa was yesterday with Miss Baker, maybe we should get her to help us out with this."

"No damn way," Raye objected. "I still can't believe you trust her. Hell, I'm even shocked that you agreed with how she conducted herself yesterday!"

"And what if it was you who was in Molly's place? Think about if you had a mother who just believed anything some teacher she never met before and did what she could to be hard on you just to make herself look good."

"She was being an ass to her, though. How could you possibly see that as right?"

"Raye," Mina interrupted, "I know what point you're making, but Amy also has a point. I've never seen her act like that before. We've known Molly for the longest time. Miss Baker has always been kind to us, and has never been stuck up. Now that I think about it, maybe intervention is the right thing in that situation."

"We may need to chill about Melissa being untrustworthy," Casto added. "So far, I've seen no reason to be suspicious. We should still keep our guard up, but if this was a trap, it's a pretty damn elaborate one."

"Please don't tell me you trust her, too, Casto?" Raye growled.

"I don't know yet. I want to trust her, especially after hearing some of what Serena told me she learned about her. But I'm scared about what Rubeus tried last night. That's another reason why I don't think this is a trap. He's not really that good at lying. If it was a trap, he would've blown it by now, knowing him."

"I'm in no mood to trust anyone who tried to steal Darien from Serena like she did! I'll never trust her, and she would be good to stay away from me! And I won't go along with her helping us with this police thing, either!"

"Me either, but for a different reason."

Serena looked at Casto with narrow eyes. "What do you mean, bro?"

"I was thinking: she said she had some good hearing, and she's also interested in knowing who Mister Koa is. I want to ask her if she could help us in finding out why he's been moving Molly around in the first place. Something seems off about how he's doing what he can to make her life hell."

"So you don't trust her to help with the police, but you want her to spy on a teacher," Raye quipped.

Casto jumped to his feet. "Raye, that's enough! At the very least give her a chance."

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me!"

"You're being unreasonable! Every single thing we say about her you've come back with! Lita, Amy, and Serena all trust her right now, and I'm on the fence because I'm still worried about what Rubeus was trying to do last night to get her to rejoin them!"

"She destroyed the damn Moon Kingdom and tried to kill all of us! Queen Serenity is dead because of that bitch!"

"And do you know anything I don't about that day? You really think you know more than I do?"

"I was on the battleground fighting her! Where were you?"

Casto's jaw dropped upon hearing that question. "Raye, I can't believe you would ask that. You know damn well where I was!"

"So you don't know more than we do? Queen Beryl is nothing but a goddamn snake in the grass, and if we are so ready to trust her after all the shit she's done to us, we're gonna..."

"Raye!" Lita screamed as she rose up quickly and laid her hands on her friend. "Calm down!"

"But he's..."

"I know! But listen to yourself. Listen to what you're saying to him. You kind of questioned why he wasn't fighting Beryl that day. You realize you just asked that?"

"Why should we trust her, then?"

"He's right! We have no reason not to just yet. She's saved Serena, she cured Patrica, she's been Reenie's guardian angel, and she has been laying into Rubeus. I'm beginning to think that you want her to do something that no one on this planet would be capable of to get you to trust her."

"I can't trust her. I don't think I ever could. But...I'm sorry, Casto. I didn't mean for it to come out the way it did."

"Please, Raye," Casto answered, "at least try to put your issues with her aside enough for it to not be a detriment to what we have to do. Like I said, I want to trust her. She seems to mean well in her ways."

Raye sighed as she looked into Serena's eyes. She could tell that there was a hint of anger in those eyes, and that was something Raye did not want to see. '_Yes, Serena, I might deserve that look right now._'

"The way the police are right now," Artemis said, "I don't think she'd make that much of a difference, anyway. Maybe it should be you who looks into this, Darien. She probably doesn't know as much as we do about it, so she'd get some weird looks instead of them taking action."

Serena was ready to say something else when her communicator began to beep. She flipped it open to see Reenie on the other end. The sight of her future daughter made her gasp. "Reenie? When did you ever get a communicator?"

"Ask Luna," answered the pink-haired child.

Serena looked narrowly at the black cat, who laughed nervously. "Just thought she could use one."

The leader Sailor looked back to the communicator. "And why are you by yourself? Didn't my mother pick you up from school today?"

"She was going to, but I heard something weird coming from your school as I was walking home. I don't know how anyone else couldn't hear it!"

The group and Reenie heard Rubeus' voice call out, "To wherever those damn Sailors are, you better show yourselves. I've made sure that you'll be the only creatures able to hear this message. You think that just because you have the Dark Kingdom queen on your side, you have the advantage? I will show you just how pathetic you are! You see, Drillbit, the man with a toolbox for a hand, and I both have your nerdy friend here, and let me tell you, the thrill of making him shit his pants is without a rival. But if you don't want us to end his pitiful life, you will bring Serena, Queen Beryl, Reenie, and that damn Silver Crystal with you. Fail to do so, and he's going to eat it."

Serena's teeth clenched as she gripped her communicator tightly.

However, as soon as he heard that, Casto's eyes shot open, and his lips quivered. "You idiots just made the biggest mistake of your lives!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Melissa Beryl was in the middle of her trip home from her job at the Crown Game Center when she heard Rubeus' threat. Her pace stopped to listen, and with every word she heard, her fist tightened.

"Furthermore," Rubeus continued, "I'll make sure this school crumbles to the ground. A little mixture of chemicals from insulation coupled with some from the science lab of Juuban Middle School equals a very combustible element of suffering. Don't worry, no kids are in here...at least none other that I'm aware of, anyway!"

Melissa's eyes shot open as well, but now in fear. "Rubeus, you dare haunt me like this! Why a school?"

"I think that Miss Baker woman tried to have Molly go to school despite that closure today, and I don't know if she was forced in further by that Koa guy. If he did, then they would still be in here, because I made sure no one would get out alive."

"Molly!" Melissa gasped. "No, Rubeus! If it's me you really want, then all you have to do is call me out! I have no problem kicking your ass! But if you blow up that school, so help me God, you will bleed!" She ran for dear life towards the school.

However, someone else saw her turn a corner: Avery.

"Rubeus? At the school?" she asked herself. "What's going on? I have to follow her. Rubeus is trying to get her back! This has to be one of his tricks!" She, albeit with a bit more stealth, trailed Melissa en route to the school.

**-xXXXXx-**

Inside one of the science labs of the school, on the top floor, Melvin was chained up to one of the plastic chairs that had been dragged to the middle of the room. The sun that had peaked in was blocked by the shades that were pulled down, the shadows beaming across a few of the many black top desks within the silver-walled room.

Drillbit had a small drill piece swirling on his hand, which he put up right near Melvin's temple, making him shake in fear. He was muffled by a chain in his mouth that he was forced to bite to keep his fear in check.

Rubeus snickered to the body's quakes, putting one foot onto a nearby chair and leaning in towards his prisoner. "You really think we would want to clean up _that_ mess? My name is Rubeus, not Tony Montana! I don't know about _him_, though!"

"Don't lie to him, Rubeus!" Drillbit answered. "You know you wouldn't care either way!"

"True." Rubeus planted his feet back onto the floor and pivoted a bit away. "Still, though, we should keep him alive until the Sailors get here and we have that Silver Crystal. Also keep in mind what Metaria wants. She wants to get Beryl back in the worst way. If we expect them to follow through with our demands, this pathetic loser needs to live that long, at least!"

"Hope they don't take forever. Can't stand this kid's crying!"

"I actually kind of like it! Do what you did again! A little closer this time!"

Drillbit was about to put that very same hand near Melvin again when he and Rubeus heard a familiar male voice scream, "_Where is he_?"

"It's Casto!" Rubeus proclaimed as he lifted the blinds slightly to see the Sailors running towards the front of the school. "They're here, though I don't see those furballs anywhere! We can't take any chances if this is going to work! Go and greet them! I'll supervise this waste of life!" Drillbit nodded and teleported out of the room. Rubeus smiled as he leaned down near Melvin once more. "You are so lucky they came. Now you can die by an explosion rather than a hole in the head."

Melvin's tears raced down his cheeks as he continued to shake in fear, though he was eying Rubeus' every move.

Sailor Vulture kicked the double entrance doors as hard as he could. The chain was still on the door, but he thought that he could've been able to break it with his roughneck style. "You better pray that he isn't harmed!"

"We should try to find another way in," Jupiter said.

"No, wait!" Sailor Mars ordered. "Mars Fire Soul! Ignite!" The fireball came from her fingertips, colliding with the chain. It melted the metal, allowing Vulture to pound the door open and race inside, with the other Sailors and Tuxedo Mask following them.

"This place is too big," Mask yelled out. "We need to..." he started before being whacked in the neck by what felt to him like a huge wrench.

The others looked over to see a huge male Youma with red skin. Replacing his left hand was a metal casing that had a hole in the center. The wrench had materialized from that spot, and as the monster stood to face the Sailors, it changed to a nail gun. "So, you're those Soldiers I kept hearing him complain about?"

"Who the hell are you?" Venus asked.

"Someone that Tuxxy Boy there might be able to tell you about. After all, I'm the one who designed that cozy bed Beryl brainwashed him on. Don't you remember that, Tuxedo Failure?"

"I don't know who you are," Mask answered, beginning to get back to his feet, "and why would you think I would remember that? I was knocked out cold!"

"I don't care who you are," Moon yelled. "Tell us where Melvin is, right now!"

"You mean that nerdy waste of breath?" the Youma asked. "Don't worry. He's being taken good care of by Rubeus!"

"You sick bastard!" Vulture growled. "I haven't been here that long, but he's someone I consider a very close friend! If you've hurt him, I swear..."

"Heard that before! It's a shame Rubeus stopped me from putting him out of his misery! Maybe once I finish you off, I'll go back up there and make sure he becomes an accessory, if you know what I mean!" His maniacal laughter was enough to send Vulture over the edge.

With a loud growl, Vulture snarled, "Vulture! Attack!" The shadow vulture sped through the hallway and towards his enemy. The monster jumped out of the way and fired a steady stream of nail bullets at the Sailors. They ran the other way as the muscular Youma continued to fire, with Mercury slowing down slightly as she thought she was hit in the leg with one of the nails. Venus ran back towards Mercury and helped her to continue their scamper.

The monster stopped firing long enough to charge up a shot, which was followed by him firing a huge nail that made the Sailors jump down as it barely missed its target. As the Sailors hurried to get back to their feet, the monster switched tools to a long drill nail, pinning Vulture by placing his foot onto his chest cavity and putting the tip of the nail right near his Adam's Apple.

"You're going to pay for doing that, Vulture. Fitting that you'll be joining your loser friend here shortly."

Sailor Moon was back on her feet and ready to attack him as she fumed and began to charge.

However, she was stopped by a sudden cry. "Shadow Wave! Strike!" The monster immediately took his sights off of Vulture and rolled to the opposite side, away from the attack that was headed right for him. He changed back to the nail gun and fired at the direction the Shadow Wave came from. It didn't take long after he got back to his feet that he saw Melissa standing near the entranceway.

"I didn't think you would show your face here, Queen Beryl!" the Youma said.

"Drillbit," Melissa growled. "I should've known you were somehow involved in this one the second Rubeus bragged about mixing things together!"

"Ah, so you heard us talk about the chemicals! Then again, I should've known you would've heard it! You're the Dark Queen, after all! You were made to betray people!"

Melissa didn't say anything else as she suddenly heard faint muffles coming from the upper level of the school. She could tell the direction she needed to go to reach the sound. "Sailors, hold him off for me! I know where Melvin is! His greatest strength is also his greatest weakness! Trust me, he isn't that tough!"

"What did you just say?" Drillbit growled.

"I said that for a person who made that bed, you're one hell of a certifiable douche-bag!"

Drillbit roared and fired a charge nail shot at her. Melissa dodged it by disappearing into another hallway. "No matter, Melissa! You're already dead!" He then turned back towards the Sailors. "Like you six trust that bitch, anyway!"

"I trust her enough to know that she would kill Rubeus within a second," Vulture answered. Mars let out a soft gasp. "And I also know she's right: you are one Grade A Douche-Bag."

Drillbit changed his tool into the wrench that he had smacked Tuxedo Mask with and swung at Vulture, who rolled out of the way.

"Venus Love Chain Encircle!" The chain of hearts wrapped around his wrench, and Venus tried to pull the chain towards her to reel him in. However, Drillbit proved to be too strong as he pulled back with the wrench, making her fly over his head.

Jupiter tried to catch him off guard as she kicked him in the back of the neck. The kick made him stagger, and Jupiter finished the jumping kick by immediately ducking down and performing a hard sweep. Drillbit was able to regain his footing and jump over her leg sweep as he tried to swipe with the wrench on his way back down. This prompted Vulture to lunge and tackle Drillbit, clinging onto his back as the monster was trying to swing his attacker off of him. It allowed Jupiter to get back to her feet, but only in time to see Drillbit throw Vulture over his shoulder and onto his back.

"Greatest strength is his greatest weakness," Mars exclaimed. "We're expected to trust her, yet she gives us a riddle of how to beat this thing?"

"We have to figure it out, Mars," Mercury answered. "There's gotta be some reason why she said it like that."

**-xXXXXx-**

Melissa was running up the steps of the school to the best her legs would allow.

"'_You sick monsters,'_" she could hear herself scream out. "'_This has to be a nightmare! Someone wake me up, now! That's a direct order! Someone please tell me this didn't happen!'_"

She could see the image of the man who had blown up the Pole Elementary School as she was running up the Middle School steps. The more she was reminded, the more her tears fell. "If only I remembered the promise I gave myself! Rubeus, you will not harm him or this school, so help me."

She finally reached the top floor and went through the open doorway into the hall. She immediately whipped her head down each end of the hallway, and she caught a young male crying for his life coming from her left.

"That has to be Melvin!"

"Stop your crying!" she heard Rubeus' voice bark from the same direction; it was followed by the sound of a hard slap. Even though she knew anyone on this floor would've been able to hear it, it frightened her even moreso, as she was using her enhanced hearing to try to pinpoint the exact room the two were in. She heard muffled voices from the end of the hall as she tried to slow her pace down while walking towards a pair of doors that stood in front of her.

_'I remember you, Melvin. You're that smart kid who had a crush on Serena for a while before falling in love with Molly,'_ she whispered in her head. '_Hang in there, buddy! I'm coming! If you can trust Casto...then you can trust me._'

She finally got there. The wood door was all that stood in her way as the sounds were strong in her ears. They made her shiver, but she planted her feet flat on the ground as she began to turn the handle.

However, when she opened the door, she didn't find Rubeus. She did find Melvin there, shackled and chained to the chair. Approaching the kid, she kept looking for the other male that she swore was still in the room.

Melvin could only muffle and tip the chair with his feet to tell this woman who was foreign to him to release him. She quickly got to him, though ever-so-cautiously, and put her hand to the chain that was across his chest.

"Shh," Melissa breathed while raising her index finger to her lips. "Stay calm. I know you're scared, but you must trust me. I'm going to get you out of here. No one is going to hurt you."

Behind her, however, Rubeus had hid inside one of the room closets, and very quietly opened the door of it. He raised the Hizrounswa gun and pointed it right at Melissa's back while tiptoeing towards her. She suddenly stopped fiddling with the chain. She kept her hand on it, however, as she slowly turned her head back.

As soon as her head was halfway turned, she whipped it the other way, grabbed Melvin and the chair and diving to the ground. She cut it too close, as she heard a loud shot ring out and buzz right past her as she collapsed onto the floor.

"You nearly got pummeled by level five," Rubeus chuckled.

"Melvin, don't be scared. I'm busting us out of here, okay?" Melvin nodded to her whisper before Melissa returned to her feet. "Thought you were at least someone who would want to fight face to face, asshole!"

"Oh, but you don't deserve that, Queen Bitch! In fact, no one who has failed at life deserves a fair fight!"

Melissa narrowed her eyes and huffed heavily at Rubeus. "You might want to wish now that I was still under Metaria's control! I don't have to restrain myself now! This day has been one that I've been waiting for for some time!"

"It'll be over before it even begins!" Rubeus fired again at Melissa, but she jumped out of the way and kicked his hand. It made the gun escape it and fall on the opposite end of the room. Melissa quickly turned around to catch Rubeus trying to punch her in the jaw. She ducked and fired two straight punches of her own in his gut. He staggered for a moment, but was able to regain his footing and knee Beryl in the same area. Melissa dropped back as she regained her composure and saw Rubeus deliver a fierce uppercut. She blocked it and head butted him in his temple. That was followed by her spinning around and delivering a vicious foot to his face. The hit made him fall to the floor on his side, though he was quick to roll over and back to his feet. He charged Melissa and hit her in the jaw with a right, and then uppercut her with a left. The latter made her fly into one of the desks, which made her fall with the desk backwards before her body bounced off of it and onto the floor.

"See that, dweeb?" Rubeus yelled. "That is what happens when you mess with me! As for you, Melissa, time to die!"

He raised his arms high and began to ready a double-shot beam to fire at Melissa's landing spot. However, before he could even get it off, the desk was kicked into his knees, which made him lose his footing and fall back onto the ground. He peered over long enough to see Melissa jump onto the side of the fallen desk and use it as a launching pad to perform a flying clothesline on him as he was attempting to stand. The two rolled a few times on the ground as they jocked for position. Rubeus had won the struggle as he straddled Melissa and punched her twice in the face. Before he could get off a third right, however, Melissa used her left forearm to deliver a hit into Rubeus' jaw, and then the elbow of the same arm came back around and collided with him. It worked in getting him off of her as she jumped back to her feet. The two exchanged left and right punches as they began backing up towards the teacher's desk, in which a few test tubes of chemicals stood within wood holders from a science exercise that was to take place today. Melissa blocked a few punches before spinning around again and catching him with another straight kick to his face. This time, he staggered to the desk that he used to regain his balance. He didn't turn around yet, however, as he saw the chemicals. He slowly slid one out of its holster and hid it near his chest.

Melissa grabbed Rubeus' arm to turn him around, and that's when she got a chemical tube in her eyes. She was extremely lucky that the glass didn't shatter into her eyes—though it did shatter on her face, splattering a few drops into her eyes. It made her growl in pain and force her hands to her eyes to get the liquid out. She could feel her eyes burning, and she couldn't see at all.

Rubeus snickered before punching her in the face and then kicking her in the stomach, the latter hit making her fall onto another desk. The collision made that desk tip over, as well. Rubeus pulled her back up by her hair and slammed her against the wall by the windows. He delivered four punches, two on her face and two to her midsection, and then followed up with a hard knee. She clenched her stomach as she collapsed onto the floor.

Now believing that he would be able to retrieve his weapon, Rubeus ran to the corner where the Hizrounswa gun had fallen to and paced to where he knew he could get a clear, direct shot amongst the debris. "You know, I feel sorry for you, in a way. You turned down one of the best offers one could make yesterday. I didn't think you had it in your sorry ass to reject it. All I have to do is to shoot you with this thing and you'll be near dead. Then you'll be gobbling at my feet, begging to come back."

"Not on your life, you coward!" Melissa growled as she tried to pull herself back to her feet by using the wall.

"No, I'm just smarter than you! When someone offers me power, I do my best to make sure I get it! You're the foolish one for caring about this kid, or those Soldiers, or that teacher." While Rubeus was busy talking, he was unaware that Melvin had begun to try to reach him with his legs, and he was almost there. "Hell, you shouldn't have cared that your family died. It was for the greater good, after all!"

"I told you before, Rubeus! Don't ever talk about my family!"

"Yeah, like you can do anything..."

Melvin wrapped his feet around Rubeus' ankle and tripped him up. It made him collide back first into a wall, and then face first into the floor. He dropped his gun again, and he growled as he turned his attention to the kid who had just done that act as he quickly returned to his feet with his gun in hand again.

"Oh, you shouldn't have, you dork! You want to play hero? You just made a _huge_ mistake!" Rubeus pointed the gun at Melvin and upped the level. "Level six would make Queen Beryl disintegrate into nothing. I wonder what it would do to someone like you?"

Melissa's hand on the wall kept her steady as she began to regain her sight. It was blurry, but it was enough for her to see Rubeus point his gun at Melvin, with his finger squeezing the trigger. Ignoring any pain she was feeling, she charged Rubeus with seething sounds and a loud roar. Rubeus saw her coming, however, and ceased his shot long enough to take the gun itself and whack her in the face with it. She fell on her stomach with Rubeus eying her again.

"What is this with me being interrupted from ending you two here and now? I hate being interrupted! The kid's death can wait! It's _your_ death I _really_ want, Queen Bitch!" He pointed the gun at Beryl's back, and began to pull the trigger with the gun still on level six.

That was, until he felt a familiar kick to his hands, which made him lose the gun for a third time. He was interrupted yet again. However, this time, the interruption came from someone who gave him a small smirk.

"Don't you dare," the pink-haired child Sailor yelled. "I'm Sailor Mini Moon, champion of the future, and I shall punish you!"

"Reenie! How nice of you to drop by," Rubeus snickered.

"Such a coward! Face someone without resorting to your old trick, you idiot!"

'_Actually, Reenie,_' Rubeus thought, '_you're just the person I was hoping would interrupt me. Metaria, I think this could work out perfectly._'

**-xXXXXx-**

Drillbit continued to fire his nail gun at all of the Sailors. He kept spinning around to make sure that he would not get blindsided by anyone this time. All of the Sailors ducked under cover, with Mercury, Jupiter, and Mars around the bend of the hallway.

"We can't keep fighting him like this," Mars yelled.

"Greatest strength is his greatest weakness," Mercury said. Her eyes then darted open. "_His tool hand_!"

"Excuse me!"

"He's using his hand for all of his attacks. He depends on it...too much! Disable that, and he has no other attacks!"

"Why didn't Beryl just say that then?"

"Rubeus is here, too. She didn't want to risk him finding out that we knew about his weakness! She gave us a riddle so she could get more time to save Melvin!"

Sailor Moon heard the two over Drillbit's continuous fire as she ducked behind a row of lockers along with her brother, Venus, and Tuxedo Mask. "If Rubeus knew we could get him, he would've just killed Melvin and then bailed! I just hope she got to him in time!"

"So now we have an idea of how to get him," Jupiter answered, "but how do we do it when he's firing those damn things nonstop?"

"Venus," Vulture whispered, "chain him as soon as I do it. Trust me, you'll be able to behind it!"

"What are you...?" Venus began.

She was not able to finish her question before Vulture ran out in the line of fire and cried out, "Vulture Shield!" The wings kept the nails from reaching the Sailors. As he kept his arms spread out, he yelled to Venus. "Do it, now!"

"Venus Love Chain! Encircle!" The hearted chain shot out through the shield. She now knew what he had said: it was a one sided shield. It would let the Sailors' attacks pass by it as long as they were on the back side of the shield. The chain wrapped around Drillbit's arm, which made him shoot the nail gun wildly. He began to change his tool into a small saw, however, and tried to cut the chain that bound him.

"Mercury Ice Storm! Freeze!" Mercury fired her ice right at the saw, and not only did it freeze it, but his entire tool hand was frozen as well. It had rendered it useless, and now Vulture ceased the shield.

"Go ahead and finish this joker off," Vulture said. "I'm going to help Melissa!"

Mars, however, objected to his wishes. "But she can't be..."

"Enough, Raye," he scolded. "I know she's not your favorite person in the world, but after this, I think we can trust her enough to know that she doesn't want to see Rubeus succeed. Besides, she hasn't come back yet, so something happened, and I have a score to settle with that man!" He said no other words as he bolted towards the steps.

"He can't be serious!" Mars yelled.

"Sailor Mars," Mercury said, "let's worry about finishing Drillbit off!"

'_I'll take out my anger on him,'_ Mars thought, '_but my respect of you just went down a notch, Casto!_'

**-xXXXXx-**

"C'mon, Reenie," Rubeus ordered as Mini Moon showed a wide fighting stance. "I want to see what this newfound talent you have really is." '_And hopefully I can get Queen Bitch to take the bait._'

Mini Moon didn't hesitate to make the first move as she charged Rubeus and jump kicked him. He sidestepped it and tried to swat her while she was in the air with a right punch. Her duck underneath it in mid-air was a move that even impressed Rubeus. She fired a straight punch into his abdomen, followed by another from her left hand this time. He doubled over, allowing her to perform a spinning jumping kick to his face. He staggered as he looked to his nemesis while holding his bottom lip.

"What the hell is this? Every time you fight, you get better!"

"Because you never focus your anger." Reenie smiled at Rubeus. "You'd think that by now you would learn that."

"I'll get you yet, you brat!"

As Mini Moon continued to battle Rubeus, Melissa seized the opportunity and ducked underneath desks to get to Melvin. Once she finally reached him, she slowly began to undo the binds. "Don't move or try to say anything. We have to take this chance now," she whispered. Melvin kept quiet as she continued to sneakily unchain the fallen boy from the chair he was tied to. It took her half a minute, but she was able to get him free. "Okay, when I tell you to, get your ass to the door, but not until I say so, okay?"

"It's a trap, though," Melvin whispered.

"Shh. I'll be careful. I know this person."

"He..."

"Ready," she interrupted as she saw Rubeus with his back towards Melvin and the door. He continued to trade blows with Mini Moon by the same desk that he had blinded Melissa at earlier. A few seconds later, she ordered, "_Now_!"

Although dismayed that he couldn't get his point out quickly enough, Melvin bolted for the door, and within a few seconds had run out of the room.

Rubeus looked back with a small growl, only to see Melvin exit before he could do anything about it. "Ah, no matter! He's no longer useful!"

"Good job, bud!" Melissa whispered as she returned to her feet. '_Just have to worry now about what he meant by a trap! Probably should've heard him out! What are you trying to do, Rubeus?'  
_

**-xXXXXx-**

He traveled the same path Melissa had, going up the same flight of stairs until he got to the top floor. Sailor Vulture could hear nothing but shattering glass and hard hitting coming from the room on the opposite end of the hall. He began to run towards that room, and got halfway there when he spotted Melvin running out of the room.

"Mel!" Vulture yelled out as he ran as fast as he could to his friend. "If they did anything to you..."

"No," he answered, "just gave me a scare, that's all!"

"Mel, get downstairs and go out the back door. Don't go out the front for anything, okay?"

Melvin nodded, but then stated, "Sailor Vulture, listen to me: that woman who unchained me. It's a trap. He was saying something about making her look guilty of something, and this Metaria person wanting Beryl back."

"You gotta be kidding me. Melvin, get down there. I can handle this from here." Melvin nodded and began to run for the stairs.

However, once he began his trek downstairs, he stopped and pondered, '_Did he call me Mel? Casto, was he right? Is that you? Be careful, my friend!_' He continued to run down the steps.

Once he got to the bottom, he made his way through the gymnasium and was ready to pull on the door to the outside when someone opened the door on the other side. He saw a short woman with blue eyes and auburn hair enter.

"Oh, no!" Melvin exclaimed.

"Don't worry, kid! I'm not here to harm anyone!"

"You don't want to be in here right now! This man is calling himself Rubeus and wants Melissa! She saved my life, but she walked into a trap!"

"Melissa Beryl? Where are they now?"

"Upstairs! Top floor! Science lab!"

"Thank you, bud! This way is safe! I'll help them as much as I can. What's this about a trap, though?"

"He wants to kill Reenie, but make it look like it was Melissa who did it by setting some gun he had to delayed auto-fire. I overheard him and this Drillbit thing talking about it. I don't know why, though!"

"My God! Thanks for filling me in. Get going!" Melvin ran out of the school premises, leaving Avery to herself.

She made her way through the gym as fast as she could while trying to remember the directions she had been told. '_Trying to kill that kid is bad enough, but making my friend take the fall? Hell no, Rubeus! I won't stand for it!_'

**-xXXXXx-**

"I got what I needed," Rubeus said. "I don't need that dweeb anymore. All I need is for Drillbit to finish off the Sailors and nab the Silver Crystal for me, and I can finish that off, too."

"You'll do no such thing, Rubeus!" Melissa growled. "I never wanted to shatter it. You have any idea what that will cause?"

"You value that thing like it's your own, Queen Beryl! It's no wonder the Sailors hate you!"

"I don't hate her, Rubeus!" Mini Moon shouted as she kicked his ribs, and then did the same to the other side. As he hunched over, she fired a straight right uppercut to his chin, which sent him flying into a corner behind the desk.

However, even though he was taken down again, Mini Moon's hits took him extremely close to what he desired: his Hizrounswa Gun. '_Both of them are here, and all I have to do is to set this down, and we're all set._' He grabbed the gun and eyed a small device on the side of the gun, which housed a lever that was the size of a toothpick but as sturdy as steel. As he clicked the lever downwards and jumped back to his feet, and as Mini Moon began to charge once more, he swiftly turned around and pointed the gun at her and began the pull the trigger.

Melissa, however, saw him attempt to fire at her, and realized that she would've never been able to avoid the shot at such a close range. She had to act fast. The motion felt like an eternity, but only lasted a split second as she grabbed Rubeus' gun hand. The gun did not fire—yet. Mini Moon stopped on a dime as she saw Melissa run in front of her.

As the two struggled, Rubeus smirked, '_Yes, Melissa, put up the fight._' He looked to the door as best as he could with all of his efforts to see a silhouette of a person beyond the crystallized window pane of the door. '_Just in time, too._' "Hey, Queen Bitch, if you want it that bad, then just _take_ it!" He shoved the gun suddenly into Melissa's chest cavity. It made her tumble to the ground, nearly getting Mini Moon in the process. Mini jumped onto one of the desks to get out of the way, then tried to springboard off of it and kick Rubeus' face. He saw it and punched her out of the air. She fell back first on the floor, and Rubeus took advantage of the situation by pulling on Melissa's short hair. Melissa broke off Rubeus' grip, but still holding the Hizrounswa Gun. The gun was now pointed right at Reenie. Rubeus began to fire a series of punches as he heard the door creek open. Once he heard it stop, he ceased his dodged punches.

"Melissa?" Casto asked. "What are you doing with that gun?"

'_Ugh,_' Rubeus thought, '_it's not Serena, but she trusts his word above all else. Could be Beryl's double..._'

"Melissa," yelled a female voice that was all too familiar to Rubeus. "Get rid of that gun _now_!"

"No!" Rubeus growled. "She can't still be..."

"Make sure it's not pointed at anyone when you..."

Melissa jumped and back flipped in the air over the teacher's desk. It was a move that even surprised herself. She wasn't even a moment too soon, as the gun fired a second later at the wood of the desk. Thankfully, the desk stopped the beam from passing through, at least on this occasion.

"What the hell?" Melissa asked.

"Avery," Rubeus snarled as he turned to face the brunette. "You bitch!"

"If you want her back, you'll have to go through me and my sisters!"

As Avery continued to talk, Casto could only stare at this woman who had just saved Melissa from having to explain more than she was ready for. '_Avery? Four sisters?_'

Rubeus continued to growl as he clenched a trembling fist in front of him. Finally he roared and rolled over the teacher's desk to where Melissa was, kicked her in the ribs while she was still stunned, and retrieved his gun that she dropped from his cheap shot. Without another word, he vanished before Sailor Vulture was able to charge him.

"Me—lissa," Casto gasped.

"She was getting tricked," Avery answered.

As Melissa returned to her feet, she looked over the scene, with an equally shocked Casto, Avery, and Reenie looking on at her. "Why did it go off in my..."

"Delayed fire. That kid who ran out when I came in here told me something about wanting you to take the fall for Reenie's death. I think he was trying to make everyone think you fired a shot right at Reenie, Melissa."

Once Casto heard the admission, he let out another, louder gasp. "Why the hell?"

"I don't know," Melissa fumed. "But I would love to hear the reason!"

**-xXXXXx-**

"Mars Fire Soul! Ignite!"

At this point, Drillbit was a sitting duck. Sailor Mars was taking out her frustrations on the tool hand of the Youma. It melted the frozen hand immediately, leaving sparks from where the hand once was.

"Sparks?" Sailor Moon asked. "Is he a robot?"

"No, I don't think so," Mercury answered as she examined him through her activated Merceye. "His hand is fueled by electricity. His body makes it, and his hand receives and uses it."

"I think it's time we overload this son of a bitch, then," Jupiter proclaimed. She jumped in front of the monster with narrow eyes. "Jupiter! Thunderbolt! Crash!" The bolt made Drillbit's entire body light up, flashing bright white at certain intervals.

"Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Mask called out. "Finish him!"

Moon stepped out in the open with her Moon Scepter in hand. "I'm going to ask you one more time, you dumb piece of shit! Where! Is! He?"

"He's probably already dead, what with how Rubeus was annoyed by his whining and crying." It was a wonder that Drillbit was still able to speak amongst the amount of electricity that was now overloading his body.

"If you so much as laid a finger on him, I swear to God, I will rip you apart!" She neared Drillbit, up to where she was toe to toe with him.

"Tough talk coming from a princess who can't even get two plus two right!"

"Two plus two equals my foot up your ass if you don't talk! Right! _Now_!" She took the Scepter and swung it at Drillbit's neck. The hit made him fall on his side to the ground. "I'm tired of you idiots always going after my friends and family! Casto is right: you're making the biggest mistakes anyone could ever make with me! Look what you and Rubeus have awakened within me!"

"What the hell?" Venus asked with panic in her voice. "It's happening again. Why here? Why now?"

"Did Luna or Artemis ever come back about if there really was a bomb in here, Mina?" Mask questioned.

"No! I hope they're okay. They've been searching all over this place, it feels like."

"I think Rubeus was bluffing about that," Mercury answered. "Like I wish Serena was bluffing right now. What is this?"

"It's how she acted when she met Rubeus in the pyramid," Jupiter said.

"She's been rather good with keeping it in check lately," Mask added. "But I agree: what's making it come out _now_?"

"The Moon Princess," Drillbit panted, "never was this violent, but if that's what you've become because of her influence, then go ahead! Beat me to death instead of firing that crescent stuff! Shows that you and Queen Beryl were made for each other!"

"You gotta be kidding me," Mars gasped. "Could he be right? Queen Beryl's influence causing this?"

"Don't be so blind, Raye," Mercury scolded.

"Yeah," Venus amended. "Remember, she's been like this since Rubeus began attacking her family. It's him that's the influence, not Melissa."

"Yeah," Moon continued, "keep blaming everyone else but yourselves for everything you've been putting me through! I thought I asked you a question! Where's! Melvin?"

"I told you," Drillbit pleaded, "he's dead, and there is nothing you can do about it!"

Moon narrowed her eyes and struck down with her Scepter again. The hit to his ribs was so hard that it made Venus and Jupiter have to look away.

"You're lying! If you are not, then you'd better be praying for some mercy from me! Where is he? Tell me! _NOW_!"

"Trust me," Drillbit laughed, "you kill me, and it will not change a damn thing! He will still be dead, and you will still be the most gullible Moon Bitch anyone will ever meet! That loser kid was put out of his goddamn misery!"

Sailor Moon could feel her anger build up. She needed someone to stop her—now. She didn't know how to anymore. What was causing this? Was he indeed correct of her newfound friendship with Melissa giving her dark side a second wake? Either way, she felt like she had no more control over her emotions or her actions as she raised her Moon Scepter once more over her head. This time, though, she planned more than one strike with it. Several into those softened-up ribs. She planned to be violent, and to have blood smeared all over her white sailor shirt. She knew her friends would not appreciate the scene, but she didn't care anymore.

However, as she came down with the Scepter, Drillbit suddenly vanished. Sailor Moon opened her eyes and looked around once she felt her swing hit nothing. The others followed suit.

"_'Drillbit,'_" they heard Rubeus call out, though he was nowhere to be seen, "_'change of plans! Seems I forgot to factor in those four bitches I used to have to drag around with me. I'm not letting you join the other Youma in death just yet. You've proven too useful for me to let them abuse you like that. Sailors, you better hope he doesn't meet you again! Especially you, Sailor Moon! They were right: you should've killed him when you still had the chance. Hesitation leads to failure!'_" They heard no more after that, even though Sailor Moon fell to her knees and cried out.

Mask dropped his cane and rushed to Moon as she collapsed. He knelt down and wrapped his arms gently around her. "It's all right, Serena!"

"Something was different that time," Jupiter said. "She looked as if she liked it more this time than when she lashed out in the pyramid."

"Rubeus has a plan, all right," Mercury added. "Something about all of this doesn't sound right."

'_You're telling us, Mercury,_' Mars thought, '_and the woman who left us with a riddle may be involved after all._'

**-xXXXXx-**

Back at the Shrine, standing outside on the huge oak tree near the steps that led to the sidewalk, Melissa could only think of what had just happened back in the school. A few moments after she had arrived, Serena met her as she made her way outside and towards her.

"Melissa," Serena asked, "something wrong?"

"You don't think I would ever..."

"No, I don't. Casto told me what Avery mentioned. Rubeus has some explaining to do."

"More than that, Serena. If that gun went off while I had it at Reenie..."

"Don't worry about it, Melissa. I believe you would never want to harm her."

"I know you believe me, but what about everyone else?" Melissa pulled herself up off of the oak tree. "You may have noticed that not everyone has been rather welcome to having me help your group."

"There will be a long talk about it. I've noticed a few of them be rather stubborn about trusting you. I think you've done more than your fair share."

Melissa let out a loud sigh. "I don't know, Serena. Maybe I shouldn't have tried to be a part of this team. I should just face Rubeus alone. I'll talk to you later, Serena."

As her friend began to walk down the steps, Serena tried to catch her. "Melissa, wait!"

"Serena, please, don't," Melissa said as she stopped halfway. "It's hard for me to walk away as it is. Hearing you plead will just make it harder on me. Don't worry, I'm not going back to that damn Dark Kingdom. Metaria can burn in hell for all she's done to me. I just don't think I'm welcome here. You'll know where to find me, Serena." Melissa made her way down the steps and began pacing towards her loft.

"Good riddance, I say," Serena heard Raye growl behind her.

It was the growl that angered Serena as she pivoted on her heel at her. "Raye, don't! You know she's been doing all she can!"

"Bullshit, Serena! Did you not hear what that Youma said? Melissa is the reason why you're acting out the way you are! Which, by the way, I thought you had under control now!"

Serena lowered her head. "I thought so, too."

"See? Drillbit was right on one thing: whenever you are around her, you get a shot of stupidity! I wish you could've seen the look on your face when you used that scepter to nearly beat him to death! You enjoyed it! We probably should've seen the resurrection of that bitch coming, because I've never seen you..."

"Don't call her a bitch, Raye!"

"Why not?"

Serena stepped right in front of Raye, in her face, with tears coming down her own. "Because, in case you didn't see it, she's been trying way too hard to please all of us when she should know that she'll never win you over! Why do you have to be proud now, Raye? For once in your goddamn life, let your guard down and try to trust her! I know it's tough for you because of how you were treated as a child, but dammit, let it go! This isn't about how trustworthy Beryl is, but you making excuses to hide what you're really doing! If you keep doing this, Raye, you're not only going to lose our trust and friendship, but mine, as well!" Without any other words, Serena stomped down the stairs and towards her house.

"Serena, you idiot!" Raye yelled to herself. '_She murdered your mother, destroyed your life on the moon, tried to steal your boyfriend and turn him against you, and never cared about anyone else but herself! How in the hell can you forgive someone that has done all of that? Queen Serenity would be ashamed of you right now if she knew you were accepting that disgusting bitch into your life! As far as I'm concerned, she's not allowed back here in the Shrine!'_

**-xXXXXx-**

Rubeus teleported himself and Drillbit back into the Dark Kingdom's energy room, where the Black Moon Renegade had been giving energy to the Youmas he was controlling. He punched the cave-like wall hard as he growled.

"Damn it! How do I face Metaria after this happened? I thought those bitches were scared of me now!"

"Avery?" Drillbit asked as he turned to his master, "Who is that, exactly?"

"She was someone who was a part of the Four Sisters I was toting around when I first entered this time to chase Reenie. They were so useless."

"Not as useless now, though. She made sure Beryl knew about the gun."

"I have the feeling she was told about it by that Melvin kid! She didn't know about it beforehand, from what I know! If he told her, he'll pay dearly! As for Avery, she is going to learn how much I don't like to be staged up!"

"_'Actually, Rubeus,'_" he heard Metaria tell him telepathically, "_'I think you did what needed to be done, just not with the person we intended to plant the seeds in. Come back immediately, and I'll tell you what I mean.'_"

Rubeus nodded and said to Drillbit, "Go and recharge your energy while I talk to Metaria. It looks like we may have caught a big break after all. I'll go talk to her." He disappeared and left Drillbit. The Youma turned around and injected all that he desired.

**-xXXXXx-**

Within a small, two story house with yellow siding, Melvin and his tall, slim father lived peacefully. Well, as peacefully as they could with Melvin having been a hostage. He wasn't going to tell his father what had happened to him. Not yet, anyway. It was a few hours after the abduction, and only one hour since his father had returned home from work.

The child sat at his desk in his small, white-walled bedroom, looking down at the marble material that made up the small table. He took off his thick glasses to reveal his baby-blue eyes, threw them down on the desk, and breathed out heavily. He wondered about the world he lived in now—along with the suspicion he had about Casto being Sailor Vulture—and rubbed his eyes with his left hand.

Just as he had it there for a second, he heard a knock at the front door of the house. '_Please be able to get that, dad!_' he thought.

Even though his father had fulfilled his wishes, the next thing he heard made him want to be who had gotten there first: a very familiar, haunting voice. It was one that he didn't need to hear now.

"Mister Gurio?" he heard the man who made his eyes shoot wide open in fear say from downstairs. "I need to speak to you about Melvin. My name is Mister Harold Koa."

* * *

Thanks for the patience that everyone (my readers and my very patient beta, youroctober, both) has had during my time writing this, and thanks for reading.

This is to my audience, however: the reason why you haven't seen the later chapters of this and other recent stories from me is because of the Document Manager screwing up my documents to the point where it's a pain to even bother with going through and fixing what it mucks up (it just removes any paragraph formatting a fourth of the way into the chapters and I can't understand why). This story is completed over on Aria's Ink if you want to read how this ends. The bug seems to be popping up on any document I've written in OpenOffice, as any I've written within Word has not done this. If anyone has any ideas as to how to fix this issue (an e-mail to didn't help me), please drop me and e-mail. Hopefully, the rest of the chapters of War Games will be up on here soon despite this issue. Just want to give you a heads up so you know I'm not trying to rob people of the rest of this fic.

Good night and good luck.


	10. Perils Of Trust

WAR GAMES  
CHAPTER 10  
Perils Of Trust

Written by Darkpower  
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)

* * *

"Mister Gurio? I need to speak to you about Melvin. My name is Mister Harold Koa."

That was one voice Melvin did not need to hear right now. It had grown into the evening hours, and it was a few hours since he had gotten back home and into his small bedroom after his abduction. Even though he had other things on his mind—such as his suspicions that his friend Casto was Sailor Vulture—his entire focus suddenly shifted to a loud, booming man whose hair he could recognize at any time. What was the substitute teacher doing here, especially when he was to be relieved of his duties in a few days? He could only look out of a single-pane window that was to the left of the desk he was sitting at. On the opposite wall was the door, at an angle from the window. Should he use that door to look out and see what was going on?

"Mister Koa," his father, in a low, smooth voice, answered. "I've heard some things about you."

'_Hopefully the things you need to hear, dad,_' Melvin told himself. He rose to his feet, leaving his glasses on the table, and just barely creaked the door open. The staircase was in between two solid walls to the left of his bedroom door with no way of seeing beyond them, so he knew he could eavesdrop without any fear of being discovered.

"Yeah," Melvin could hear Mister Koa answer. "There are a lot of stories that have been told, but you know kids these days. Those who don't want to learn find ways to get out of it."

Mister Gurio hummed softly. "Have to be careful, though, sir. It's not like it's only the children who have been suspicious of what tactics you employ."

"Trust me, sir, I've heard all of the stories. I was fearful that you may have heard something about them from your son, which is why I decided to come here and tell you the truth about why he may be telling you some stories in the near future."

'_If he doesn't think there's something up about that line, then something's wrong with him. Dad, please tell me you're as smart as I know you are._'

"Okay," his dad said, "why don't you have a seat here? I don't think you want to talk standing outside like that.

"Don't mind if I do." Footsteps could be heard, followed by a shut of the door. "Wow, Mister Gurio. This couch is more comfortable that it looked like it would be, and I always thought black leather couches won over white wool ones. Why do you have it on the same wall as your window, though? Your television will be hard as all hell to see if the sun glares on it if you have it there."

"I don't watch much television anymore. Nothing interests me. Melvin does sometimes, but he's more on his computer talking to his friends online. You want some coffee? I can brew a pot if you want."

"No thanks. I can't stay long, anyway."

'_Neither would I want you to._'

"About these friends of his," Melvin heard Mister Koa continue, "I think they're beginning to be a detriment to his studies. I think you need to start looking more closely at his grades and who he hangs out with."

Melvin did whatever he could to stifle his gasp. '_What?_"

"What do you mean?"

"You know who Molly Baker is, right?"

"Of course I do. She and Melvin have been together for a while. She was feeling depressed and he was sympathetic of her, and they just grew into an item. I'm proud of him for his kindness towards her."

"He might be getting too kind, though. Seems as though his grades are slipping, and I think it started with this year. I don't know if I should ask this or not, but do you think they might be a case of teenage couples going to the next level in their relationship before they know what that means?"

'_You sick little...ugh,_' Melvin thought as he considered punching a wall.

"I get what you're asking. I don't think Melvin ever talked about the relationship being that serious, actually. He shares everything with me, and I know he cares a lot about Molly. I don't think he would ever want to take advantage of her."

Melvin put his back against the wall next to the door opening. He looked towards his white sheeted twin bed and muffled a few choice words, if they were even words, before listening in again.

"I shouldn't even be asking about that," Mister Koa continued.

'_You're darn right you shouldn't, you slime._'

"Strange reason for his grades slipping, though."

"Well, sometimes romantic involvement can lead to a lack of attention to their academic studies. I just wish that was the only distraction on his plate right now. You obviously know who Serena Sommers is, right?"

"Good friend to Melvin. She's been getting better last I heard."

"Don't know who it was you heard it from. She's been flunking out, too. Though she isn't the only one who's been a bad influence on your child. Her brother is my biggest concern. I don't know if you know who Casto Sommers is, do you?"

'_You say one bad thing about him or his sister, then I swear on my soul, you will see a side of me you would wish you never unleashed._'

"I only know he started this year. Came in from L.A. as a foreign exchange student."

Melvin heard a loud sigh coming from Mister Koa. "He's been a problem student from the day I met him. He's been acting out in class, trying to challenge me to fist fights. The typical child who would get expelled from school after a few months or so; that's Casto Sommers. Those are the nicest things I can say about him, too."

'_You liar!_' Melvin clenched his fists tightly and dug his toes into the blue carpet, the latter to keep himself from barging downstairs.

"I didn't know he was like that. Not sure why Serena would put up with that."

"I don't think he's even Serena's real brother. He's got this bogus story, or at least I think it's bogus, about his mother having to put him up for adoption because she couldn't afford to raise two kids or something. I think he's trying to swindle Serena's family. He's real bad news, and Melvin has been growing closer to him since he first became a student at my school."

"At _your_school?" Melvin whispered to himself.

"Dear lord," his father gasped. "Some plan to get a quick buck."

'_Oh, please tell me he doesn't believe that pack of lies. Anyone with a brain could see past it._'

"I just hope you do the right thing about this, because if Melvin gets anymore F's, he's going to flunk out this year." Melvin heard a bunch of ruffling of clothes before Koa continued, "Here's a list of things I recommend you do immediately. I can even help you in doing these things for you and making sure they are carried out. I also recommend that you go over these with your son. He really needs you to set the rules. You're his parent, not his friend."

"This list is pretty extreme," Mister Gurio said. "You sure this is the right way? I mean, I can talk to him to see what's going on. He might be depressed. He hasn't been able to talk to Molly for some time, and I'm not sure what is going on there. Maybe they are having some relationship issues that his mind is focused on more."

"I wish I could say the same, but the thing of it is, this started around the time he began to become friends with Casto."

'_Which is also when Miss Haruna was attacked and you showed up. Some way to validate a cover story.__'_

Mister Koa could be heard standing up off of whatever he was sitting on, and footsteps could be heard again. "I don't think there's any room to second guess yourself. My personal number is on that paper, too. I recommend you save that somehow and make sure you keep in touch with me at all times. I'll help you enforce these new rules."

"I'll see what I can do about this," Mister Gurio replied.

The front door gave a loud squeak as it was opened. Mister Koa, Melvin heard, was nearly gone. However, his voice began again, "By the way, Mister Gurio, I have a suspicion that there is some adult now who is trying to undermine my authority. I was told her first name was Melissa, but I can't get a last name. I've been trying all day to retrieve it, though I've had no luck."

'_Melissa,_' Melvin thought. '_That was the name of the woman who fought that Rubeus guy earlier. If it's the same person, then I know what her last name is.'_ He recalled what he had heard earlier from Rubeus' lips: "_Level six would make Queen Beryl disintegrate into nothing. I wonder what it would do to someone like you!_"

'_Melissa Beryl,_' Melvin continued to ponder, '_so that's your name. Thank you, and please tell me you're the one giving Koa a tough time, too._'

"I have to get going. I'll talk to you tomorrow. I was guaranteed that school would be open, so you should have no trouble putting this into motion ASAP." After Melvin heard Mister Koa finish talking the door was shut.

"Melvin," his father called out. "I need to speak to you, please."

Melvin expected the worst as he made his way towards the stairs. He walked as though he was walking the green mile.

**-xXXXXx-**

It was eleven at night, and Melissa Beryl was trying to get some sleep in her apartment. She couldn't get any, however. The memories of what had transpired earlier at the temple continued to ring out in her head. It was so much so that she could feel a few tear drops coming out of her eyes as she stared at the ceiling. When all else failed, it was studying the texture and pattern of the ceiling tiles and the ribbons that held them there. Some small holes that were only for design were within the tiles. At least that's what they looked like to her. The thoughts of how she could get someone to trust her when they did whatever they could to push her away got replaced with asking how one could possibly make holes in ceiling tile while still making it stay in one piece. Even if for only a second, it gave her mind some time to relax.

Eleven-o-one. Melissa began to shut her eyes-'_Why am I going to bed this damn early?_'-when she heard a knock at her door. She thanked whoever would listen for Avery's intervention earlier, and maybe this was her again. She hoped so, for she wanted to thank her in person, since she couldn't earlier. She got up out of her bed and headed for her front door.

Though it wasn't Avery, she smiled at who it was instead: Serena. "Hey, woman! What are you doing up this late?"

"I could say the same about you!"

"Is it all right if I come in?"

"Of course. You're always invited here."

Serena removed her shoes at the door as it shut behind her by Melissa's hand. She took the time to study her friend's abode. "You got this for a thousand yen?"

"Yeah," Melissa answered as she sat on her brown wool love seat. "It isn't much, but it will do for now. Far from the queen-like life I used to live."

"I think you have this place all decked out. You made out pretty good for how expensive some of these places can run."

"Maybe someday, I'll show you a place that I used to go to all the time when I needed to get away from the Dark Kingdom. You'd never believe it."

"Try me."

"Okay. A small log cabin, just on the outskirts of what you guys called D-Point. It was comfortable, and when I was a queen of a much better place, I used that spot as a getaway for my advisors and me. I loved just being there. It was like a camping trip. I even had a bed there. In fact, if I can ever get the furniture from it here, I'll be made here for a while."

"Sounds like a perfect place if it wasn't so close to that...," Serena stopped talking as she gasped loudly. "Wait! Cabin? Close to D-Point! You mean that cabin we discovered that Rubeus was hiding my mother was..."

"So that _was_your mother's blood I saw on that pipe in the basement," Melissa growled. "I knew he was there. He was the only one who would've wanted the Hizrounswa."

"On a pipe?"

"It sickened me to death to see it, but I have a feeling he was abusing her while she was apparently tied to the thing or however he kept her there. I would need to find it again, hold on." Melissa rose to her feet and went over to a small desk and pulled open one of its drawers. She shuffled around though a sea of papers before continuing, "Here it is! This is what I found on a table in the basement when I went there a week or so ago. I apologize if I've woken some bad thoughts."

Serena shook her head as she took the paper that Melissa gave her. She read the note, that was written in all capital letters: "IKUKO WILL NEVER SEE HER DAUGHTER AGAIN! PITIFUL EXCUSE TO NOT GROUND HER DAUGHTER TO KEEP SAILOR MOON A SECRET! I WILL HAVE THE HIZROUNSWA!"

"Oh, my God!" Serena tried to fight her tears, even as a few began to fall. "That sick monster!"

"I'm sorry, Serena. I don't mean to..."

"No, don't be. I'm glad you showed me this. Now I know what he was doing to her."

"I know what you've been doing to him. He was bitching about that scar you gave him in some pyramid. Serena, in all my time of knowing who you were and are, I've never seen you act like that. Did you really swipe at him?"

Serena let out a loud sigh as she collapsed on the love seat. "Yes, I did. With my tiara. I sliced that piece of shit's face wide open for what he did to my mother. He continued to be a coward, and I swear to God, Melissa, I would've killed him if Casto didn't stop me. Thank God he did."

"Malachite told me that it scared him seeing you like that. He was watching you battle Rubeus the first time once we got resurrected. He doesn't get scared easily, so I know there was something different about you."

"It scares me, too, Melissa."

Melissa sat next to Serena on the love seat. It was a move that she thought Serena would object to, but her friend never did. "How so? Not saying that I don't understand why, but I know it's different with everyone."

"Earlier, in the school, I was just pounding Drillbit with my Moon Scepter. Not using its magic or its power. Just physically beating him to within an inch of his life, and part of me...my God, Melissa, I liked it. I liked being able to finally show those monsters how pissed off I've become because of their actions towards me and my family."

"You told me about Sammy being put in intensive care because of Rubeus."

"My entire family was in my mind as I held something I never thought I would want in my hand. I held that man up on a tree as I screamed in his face, demanding to know where my mother was. Every time he refused, I shot a bullet, just a bit closer than the last, to the side of his head. He got the message, though only for a moment. He tried to turn my mother against me afterwards, but we were able to free her from his control."

"My lord," Melissa cried. "I didn't know he did that. As for you, Serena, I don't want to ever hear about you handling a gun again. I could never picture you even holding one for anything."

"I'm changing, Melissa. Into what? I don't know, but the more I let this side go, the harder it is to keep it in."

"It only takes once to get used to it. Once you know what you're capable of, you start to know how to control it and push it even further."

"How could you control yourself around Rubeus?"

"I had to. My master gave him all sorts of power, and condemned me and my friends to just serve him. She made him into a king, and just casually handed him the Hizrounswa. That was the final straw for me. I was nearly ready to leave before, but looking in on something like that made my decision final. To tell you the truth, Serena, I don't know how I did it." Melissa leaned down a bit. Her elbows touched her knees, with her hands clasped in front of her. "He just continued to defy me. He continued to harm my generals, go behind my back when he was to be supervised at all times, and didn't care. I keep getting told that I was reveled by this Doom Phantom guy as some legend for what I did to the Moon Kingdom." She put one hand to the top of her head as she began to weep. "God, Serena, if you only knew...if they only knew of how much grief and guilt I held in because of that day, that word would've never crossed his mind. I'm no damn legend. I failed my people, and I failed everyone who trusted me."

Serena put a hand onto Melissa's free one. "You didn't fail me, and I trust you."

Melissa turned to Serena's worried eyes. "Yes, I did. If it wasn't for me, you would've still been on the Moon. If it wasn't for me, you..."

"...would've never found my brother again, would've never made the new friendships I've made, would've never been able to realize how much I love Darien, and would've been able to see you for who you really are."

"A pitiful, ugly queen?"

"Hell no! You're not ugly, Melissa. You have a chance so few have when they do the types of things you've done. You have the chance to make things right again. Which is why we need you. It's why _I_need you."

"Doesn't sound like it coming from Raye."

"You should've seen the argument she and I had once you left. Let's just say I let her know how I felt about her stubbornness. Her grandfather was never like that. He's actually an expert in letting go of grudges. I should see him, actually. It may help me see what is causing me to be the way I've been lately."

"Is he the other person who runs the Shrine?"

"Yeah. Him and Raye both take care of it, and let us gather there. He's a nice person, but somewhat eccentric sometimes. He does these private meditation classes that make you have to face your fears from within your own mind. I should do them sometime."

Melissa wrapped an arm around Serena's shoulders. "And if you ever need any help in controlling it, you know you'll have me. I know you trust me, but I also know now that I can trust you. I want to be there to help you."

"Thank you. Just please, keep trying to win over their trust. I actually think you're winning them over, and Raye has a weird way of showing her trust."

"I promise you, Serena. As long as you are there, I'll keep trying."

Serena's smile came back, only wider this time as she jumped to her feet. "There we go! And I'll be holding you to that, Melissa."

Melissa stood up herself and faced her friend. "I wouldn't want it any other way. Though I would rather you have that smile on your face rather than you crying. If I ever hear that you've held a gun in your hands, though..."

"I don't want to, ever!"

"I'll hold you to that one, then."

Serena nodded. "Anyway, I have to go before my parents get worried of where I am."

"It's eleven-thirty, though! They would already be worried."

"I told them it was an emergency my friend had, which was true." Serena rose to her feet and made her way to the door.

Melissa's eyes sparkled as she followed her. "Thank you. It helped me a lot, and I hope I helped you in some way."

"Yes, Melissa, you have, in more ways than anyone could think you have. I have to get going before they really start worrying." Serena put her shoes back on and began to head out the door. However, halfway through the door, she stopped and turned back around. "By the way, Melissa, my brother wanted to talk to you about something whenever you get the chance."

"Casto," Melissa began with a soft gasp, "wants to talk to me?"

"Yeah. He wants to know if you'll help him with something."

"Does he trust me now?"

"He trusts that you won't rejoin the Dark Kingdom on your own power. He's worried about what Rubeus has been trying to do to get you back, though."

Melissa looked away slightly. "That worries me, too. I don't know why Rubeus would want me back with the way he hated me."

"My brother's free tomorrow after school if you have the time."

"I'll see what I can do. I won't forget, though."

"Thanks. See you around, Melissa, and remember that no matter what, we need you." Serena turned back and walked into the hall and down the steps.

Melissa closed the door after her friend left and exhaled deeply. "And you have no idea how much you've helped me, Serena. I never knew you were such a great friend. Even when I knew you were, I didn't know how much until tonight. You mean so much to me right now. I love you, Serena."

She walked back into her bedroom and stared up at the ceiling tile again. "I still have my demons, though. Maybe Raye is right in not trusting me too quickly. Maybe Serena shouldn't be the only one to go see that grandfather."

**-xXXXXx-**

Rubeus stood once more in front of Metaria's lair. The entire room was all too familiar to him by now, and so was the look of the bubbly orange egg that his queen was currently in.

"Metaria," Rubeus said as he stood right at the edge of the platform, "how can I possibly face you as a failure like I have been?"

"You are not, Rubeus," the egg responded. "I actually believe we have an unexpected situation unfolding that could prove beneficial to our cause, but we may have to work a bit harder to use this new plan."

"What new plan? Are we still looking to kill Reenie?"

"Yes, but you see, Rubeus, I think Serena will know anyway that it was you. She suspects you too much now for us to risk it. There is someone, on the other hand, who has had too much trouble trying to trust the witch."

Rubeus' eyes narrowed slightly, causing him to squint. "I think I know who you're referring to, but when did this catch your attention?"

"Sailor Mars hasn't exactly been saying any kind words about her. Plus, Rubeus, I don't think you'd be surprised to know that I have been keeping an eye on what happens at their Hikawa Shrine, especially after you battled them at the school. Her and Serena seemed to have a falling out."

Rubeus cocked an eyebrow. "_Another_one? And she was bragging about how she didn't want to be leader of the Soldiers!"

"But the basis of the argument was about Melissa and why Raye cannot trust her. The past arguments were only small bickering. This one looked to be a lot more."

He extended his lips slightly to the right and hummed in thought. "You think we can keep them fighting?"

"We could, but I might have a way to make this a lot more exciting for you. Raye's grandfather is the owner of the Shrine, and he was also one of the original seven carriers of the rainbow crystals, which were essential to form the Silver Crystal. We attacked him, but at the time, Queen Beryl was the one who orchestrated the attack. I am not sure if that is the reason for Raye's refusal to trust Beryl or not. However, if I am correct, Beryl will arrive at the Shrine tomorrow. It won't take much to get Raye to think that it was Beryl who did in her grandpa."

Rubeus snickered. "Kill the old geezer, frame Beryl, and prove the Fire Bitch right!"

"Yes, but remember that the other Sailors will not be so convinced. You need to find some way to make them believe Raye when she finds her grandpa dead. Beryl's hands needs to be smeared by the blood. And they cannot know you were there at all."

"I think I've got a plan, but there is one more element to this. The reason why the last attempt failed."

"I saw her blow the whistle on the whole damn thing. She will be dealt with."

"Every time I think I've got everything going my way, someone else comes in and ruins it, and then I have to face you and tell you about the failures." He pivoted around, away from Metaria, and sulked. "I don't think I'm any better than Queen Bitch was as far as pleasing you is concerned."

"Unlike Beryl, though, you are making some progress. Remember, I trust you to be able to at least get us in the correct direction."

Rubeus came out of his sulking and clenched his Hizrounswa gun with his hand. "And about Reenie?"

"Once Raye plants the seeds for us, then we can worry about Reenie."

Rubeus' eyes lit up like lights. "Because Serena and Raye claim to be so tight, if Raye gives Serena doubts about Beryl, then she won't be so convinced that Beryl wouldn't want to kill Reenie. I got it now." He cackled loudly and turned back around towards Metaria. "It will be a pleasure. The more I hear of this, the more I like it. When can I begin?"

"Right now!"

Without another word, Rubeus disappeared from the room. The egg only gave a few sequences of the bubbles from within rising up in response.

**-xXXXXx-**

Casto had arrived at school, though Serena had decided to try to go in a bit earlier to see if she could get some time with Molly. He just got to the front door when he saw Melvin get dropped off by his father in a black four door Sentra. Once he got out of the car, the car sped away, and Casto ran up to him immediately. "Mel!"

"Cas," Mel yelled out, "I'm glad you're here so early!"

Although Melvin wasn't completely somber, Casto noticed some discomfort in his friend's voice. "What's up, Mel? You don't sound so hot."

"Mister Koa visited my house yesterday!"

The news was enough to send Casto a step back. "What the hell? He's doing the same to you that he's doing to Molly."

"Yeah, but fortunately my dad wasn't as convinced. He only put me on probation until he can check things out, if you could call it that."

"That's good," Casto smiled. "Though you know Mister Koa is going to be all over your ass now. He's expecting you to be completely grounded."

"After the stuff he told my father about you, I think he might."

Casto's mouth straightened. "What did he say?"

Melvin let out a small breath before continuing, "He said that he thinks you're not really Serena's brother and that you're only trying to swindle her family."

Casto's breathing quickened, and he could feel his heart nearly pounding out of his chest. "That pathetic little piss-ant! He better not even look at me the wrong way!"

Melvin laid a hand on Casto's shoulder. "Don't worry, Cas! I know you wouldn't ever do anything like that."

"Yes you would, Casto!" they heard a loud and, to them, disgusting voice hark from behind Casto. It was the tall, salt-and-peppered-haired teacher that he saw when he turned around.

"How could you dare even think that I would take advantage of my sister like that?" Casto roared. He was so loud that a few of the other students in front of the school stopped talking amongst themselves and turned towards the showdown.

"Like you even are her brother!" Koa answered. "Face it, Casto: you're nothing but a damn troublemaker here, and it wouldn't surprise me if the School Authority expelled you in a few days."

"Why are you so obsessed with us, sir?" Melvin asked. "Why are you so afraid of us that you have to go to our houses and tell our parents outright lies?"

"And why are you talking to Casto still? I thought your father set some new rules for you last night. I was expecting you to follow them."

"My father is a lot smarter than you give him credit for!" Melvin did not notice the forcefulness that his voice took, as more students began to watch the argument, with a few even gasping upon knowing that it was Melvin who was standing up for himself.

"He doesn't realize yet that I'm trying to further your education by getting rid of your distractions."

"Yeah, right! All you're doing is making us uncomfortable with being around you!"

"And you think I care? You haven't moved away from Casto yet, and I expect you to in about five seconds, or else I'm going to move your ass for you!"

'_Over my goddamn dead body, you will,_' Casto thought as he adjusted his stance. He eyed Mister Koa as he inched closer towards Melvin.

"No," Melvin proclaimed. "You are not my father!"

"But I am your teacher, and I will make sure you follow your father's orders to the letter!" Koa reached down with his hand and grabbed Melvin hard by the arm.

Or at least he attempted to, for as soon as he was about to grapple Melvin, Casto caught Mister Koa's hand with his own. He trembled in anger as he used all his strength to hold his arm off.

"He's not willing to get physical with you, Mister Koa," Casto growled sternly, "but _I_have no problem doing so! He's my friend, and I swear to God, you hurt him, and you will wish you never crossed me!"

"Look at this, will ya," Mister Koa said as he continued to have his wrist held in what felt like a vice. "Casto is threatening a teacher. I didn't think you would stoop that low. Then again, you are robbing the Sommers family blind! How much did you get so far, Casto? A thousand, ten-thousand yen, huh? I've lost count!"

"No, Casto!" Serena screamed as she came out from within the school. She saw Casto's other hand pull back with a closed fist, and she ran as fast as she could to catch that free arm before he could strike his target.

"He's not worth it," Melvin added as he assisted Serena in holding Casto off from Mister Koa. The two together were enough to make him back off of the teacher and let go of his wrist.

"Damn right it isn't. School's about to start, and I suspect Melvin knows of the new period assignment he has with me. Second period, Melvin. You won't see any of your distractions there. As for you, Casto, the first thing I would do Monday morning is come up with a good reason as to why you threatened me, because we're going to have a long talk with the School Authority about you. I just hope for your sake that you won't get expelled for this alone." Koa began to walk towards the school as all the students continued to eye the occurrence, although they were unsure who to pay more attention to as it unfolded.

Koa stopped near the door and spoke one more time. "By the way, I really hope you guys can get used to me, since you'll be seeing a lot more of me. I hope to be a good influence on your studies." He entered the school without another look back, with the students still looking on in shock.

"No, you won't, Mister Koa," Serena growled. "Patty's coming back next week, she told me. You'll be long gone Monday morning."

"Not a moment too soon, either," Melvin answered as he slowly released Casto from his restraint. Serena did the same just a second later.

"I swear," Casto said, "I would've punched his lights out if I wasn't stopped. He sickens me!" Casto paced quickly into the school as the starting bell rang out.

'_I wish I could have what you have to control your emotions like you do, bro,_' Serena thought as she walked into the school with him.

Melvin looked on for a moment as he tried to regain his composure. '_That's the same way Sailor Vulture protected me yesterday. Casto, you don't have to hide it from me._' He walked into the building.

**-xXXXXx-**

TA Private Girls School was just a few blocks away from Juuban Middle School. It had a single tree to the left of its front yard entryway. Like the public school, there was an eleven foot brick barrier surrounding the premises. The blue-brick building had three stories, and each room had two windows or more.

As school ended on this day and the girls filed out, Raye Hino could only walk with a long face and narrow eyes, a face that she carried with her throughout the school day.

However, she stopped when two conversing school girls blocked her path. As she tried to maneuver around them, she caught a sample of the conversation they were having. She stopped to listen, though ducking into a small alley on the other side of the street.

"Did you see that woman who went to that Shrine today?" one girl said. It was the question that made Raye want to listen in more.

"You mean that tall, red-haired chick who just walked up the steps of the Hikawa Shrine?" the other girl asked. "Yes, I saw her. She looked down. I felt sorry for her, actually. Was going to ask what the problem was, but I didn't think it was any of my business. She had some cool attire, though, and I wanted those wonderful ruby red eyes she had. Did they ever sparkle!"

'_Red eyes and hair? Tall woman? At the Shrine? That sounded like...oh, my God!_'

Without warning, Raye took off running towards the Shrine. She weaved around the pedestrians on the sidewalk, though she nearly ran into a few of them. Some of them stopped to yell at her for not paying attention to where she was going, though she was too much in a panic to care. She heaved and panted as she kept her legs going as much as she could. She didn't stop for anything as she saw the Shrine just a few blocks away now. '_If you've done anything to my grandpa, Beryl, so help me, I will kill you right now._'

She rocketed up the outside steps and sprinted towards the entrance door. She dropped her book bag outside and took her shoes off at the door before running into the Shrine. She almost got into the fire room when she was stopped by Chad.

"Hey, babe," he exclaimed, "why the panic?"

"She's not allowed here, Chad!" she answered angrily.

"Who isn't?" He then popped his eyes open. "Oh, you mean the Melissa woman who came here asking for a session with your grandpa."

"Damn right I mean her! She's capable of..."

"Shh! Keep it down. You'll distract them."

"From her..."

"Now Melissa," she heard her grandfather say through the door. "Try your best not to move a muscle."

"They're both fine, if that's what you're worried about," Chad said as he very slowly cracked the door open so she could peak in.

She saw the fire being lit, and her grandfather and Melissa both sitting with their calves folded underneath them. They both had their eyes closed, as calm as they could be.

"What is she doing here?" Raye asked, now a bit quieter.

"Like I said, she was asking for a lesson from your grandpa. She told us she was Serena's friend and that she heard about these sessions from her. That was all the convincing he needed to let her have one. They've been at it for some time. Why isn't she allowed here?"

Raye didn't answer as she continued to listen to her grandfather. "Now, Melissa, concentrate. Don't think about anything else except what frightens you. Do not be afraid to face it. You must combat your fear in order to defeat it."

"He told me she wasn't looking well," Chad whispered. "I even saw a little of it. She looked depressed."

"I'm sure she was," Raye groaned.

Her groan was enough to make her grandfather open her eyes and look behind him. "Raye, you're home!"

Melissa also opened her eyes, seeing Raye there. "Raye, I'm sorry. I know you don't like me, but..."

"You're damn right I don't," Raye cried. "I especially don't like you being here with my loved ones."

"Raye, c'mon," Chad scolded. "Don't be like that. What's with you?"

"She's bad news. I swear to it. You have no idea what kind of crap she's done."

"The "'crap'" I've done is why I've come here, Raye," Melissa answered. "I wanted to try to get rid of the demons that caused me to do those things."

"You weren't possessed. You knew everything you were..."

Her grandfather shot to his feet. "Raye, be quiet!" He then turned to Melissa. "Stay here, Melissa. I'll be back." He turned back to Raye as he approached the door she was standing at. "C'mon, Raye. Outside so we can talk."

Grandpa closed the door. Melissa looked down at the fire that was still burning in front of her and sighed deeply.

**-xXXXXx-**

"Okay, Raye," her grandfather asked as he walked with her to the center of the Shrine walkway, "what is it that I have to be afraid of by letting her have this class?"

"Yeah, babe," Chad added. "What catastrophic thing is she going to do to us if we let her patronize here?"

Raye gritted her teeth and felt her fist clench. "She's destroyed thousands of lives with her actions. She's destroyed homes and relationships. She constantly lies; so much so that she can do it naturally. She's not welcome here!"

"Yes, she is!" her grandfather yelled angrily. "Everyone that seeks our help is welcome here. Even those who have committed some bad things in their lives."

"But she's one of the..."

"Raye," Chad said, trying to put his hands on her, "chill! You've never been like this towards anyone."

Raye jumped away from his embrace. "No, Chad! Don't you dare touch me right now!"

"Raye," her grandfather yelled, "enough! This is something more than what you're telling us. You're hiding the real reason why you can't trust her!"

"What would that be?" Raye screamed.

"Your parents. You and your father weren't close at all, and you felt he betrayed you."

"That's not it, grandpa!"

"You do remember it, right? You told me you hated politics because of him."

Raye turned her back to her grandfather. "I don't want to talk about this!"

"When will we, though? It's because of that that you refuse to trust anyone!"

Raye punched the bark of a tree. "No it isn't!" She didn't give any other words as she stormed down the steps and stomped away from the Shrine.

"Hey, Gramps," he heard Melissa call out from the door. "I can go ahead and go if I'm going to cause you that much trouble."

"Nonsense," Grandpa yelled as he turned towards his guest. "You're not causing any trouble. It's her that I can't get through to."

"Never seen her that stubborn about trusting someone, though," Chad pointed out. "Perhaps it's what she thinks of Melissa coupled with her issues in the past. Wish she would at least try, though."

"Like I said," Melissa continued, "if I'm not welcome here, I can go. I don't want to endanger your relationship with her by me being here."

Grandpa walked over to Melissa and put a hand on hers. "Don't worry, Melissa. It's something that she needs to realize about herself. She can't keep that in forever."

Melissa looked towards the steps that led down to the sidewalk. Her jaw hung open as she shut her eyes slightly. "You sure it's not a problem?"

"It won't be. Besides, we're not done with you just yet. Your thoughts now are telling me that you are still afraid of your own demons. Go back into the fire room and we'll continue where we left off."

Melissa, as instructed by Grandpa's hand movements, pivoted and went back into the Shrine, with him pushing the sliding door shut behind them.

Chad looked on as he saw them reenter the Shrine. He then turned his head towards the outside steps. '_Why are you so afraid to discuss it, babe? It's only going to hurt you by holding it all in._'

As he went about his business looking over the garden of the Shrine, someone was looking over everything from his perch on a tree branch that was on the very edge of the right side of the shrine: Rubeus.

"Wow," he said to himself, "please tell me I'm not just imagining things. This is a dream come true. Raye is not only unwilling to trust her, but she's ready to blame her for the wind blowing east instead of west. This is going to be way _too_easy. Have to wait just a little bit longer before we can act, though. Don't want to waste this opportunity." He vanished from the branch before anyone could find him.

**-xXXXXx-**

Grandpa sat back down on one end of the fire, with Melissa sitting down the same way she was before on the other end. The two clasped hands on both sides of the fire, ignoring the heat that was coming from the steam.

"You should worry more about your granddaughter than a class with me," Melissa said.

"She's fine," he answered. "She needs some time to herself. I just hope she'll be okay. I can't do anything about it until she comes back, anyway. I have to stay here and look after the Shrine, and you're still here. Trust me, you're not leaving until we find out what's bothering you."

Melissa hung her head. "I just don't want to be the one responsible..."

"It's not the first argument we've had, and I'm sure it won't be the last. She's always been like that, but she always understands when it comes down to it. Trust me, I know her. I wouldn't push her away for anything, believe me."

With a heavy sigh, Melissa answered, "Okay. I'll believe you. But if I hear anything different..."

"Not a chance, though I'm glad someone is going to make me live up to my words." Grandpa tightened his grip on her hands. "Now, let's continue. Close your eyes and concentrate."

Melissa did just that, only she closed her eyes tightly. She could not say any words as she took a few deep breaths.

"Good," he said. "You remembered to take a few deep breaths in order to calm yourself. Now, whatever you see, I will see, as well. Don't hold anything back. Tell me everything you experience right now."

**-xxxxx-**

Melissa was in a pitch black room, with no end to the marble floor she was standing on. She could feel the coldness of that very floor come up through her black socks and nearly freezing her feet. She whipped her head back and forth before walking a bit forward, all with her mouth slightly open.

_**"I'm in a room. There are no walls in here. It's just me. I feel so cold, and so alone in here. I...I don't want to be here."**_

_**"Don't be afraid of it. It's just your perception. Nothing more. Think of what scares you. Moments of your life that have defined who you were and who you are now, regardless of whether they are good or bad."**_

Melissa continued to walk forward, quickening her pace. She only took two more steps before she heard someone crying. It sounded like a child, maybe a small girl. As she walked further in the same direction, her eyes caught the image of the girl. She wasn't too big. In fact, she couldn't have been over seven years old.

_**"I see a girl in front of me. She's crying for some reason. Something happened to her. Her clothes are ripped."**_

The girl had on a button-up blue shirt on and a long matching dress. She also had white buckle-up shoes on that echoed a loud sound across the room when she lifted her heels slightly. She was sitting down with her head buried within her arms that were folded on her bent knees. Melissa slowly approached this girl, seeing that the girl's clothes were ripped, and there were some severe bruises on the girl's skin where the rips were.

She knelt next to the girl, who was still sobbing. "What's wrong, hon?"

"The bad men," the girl's voice echoed. It was a voice that while sweet and innocent was also filled with pain and anguish. "They hurt me. They killed my family." She had her head still buried in her arms, and it appeared as though she wasn't going to let Melissa see her face at all.

Melissa's eyes glistened as they widened. "Bad men? Did you see who they were?"

"No. I couldn't see. I can't remember."

"Where do you live?"

"It doesn't matter. They burned it down. I don't know where to go. I'm so scared. I want my mommy."

Melissa's tongue felt frozen, and the more she tried to move it, the stiffer it became. Finally, she laid her hand on the girl's back. "Don't worry, sweetie. You don't have to be scared. We'll find your mommy, okay?"

"How can I trust you?"

The question made Melissa take a step back from her.

_**"She asked me how she could trust me?"`**_

_**"Do you have any way of proving to her that she can trust you?"**_

Melissa approached the young female again. "Because, the bad men. They are scared of me. They cower the second they hear my name. And once they know it's me, they have no choice but to surrender. Once they do, then we will make them tell you where your mommy is, all right?"

The girl was beginning to say something else when a small black hole began forming underneath where she was. Melissa didn't have any time to react before the hole became a large shadowy hand that grabbed the girl and completely covered her with it.

"_No_!" Melissa screamed as she returned to her feet. "She's a child! What the hell are you doing to her?"

She could see it, even though she could've lived without the visual: the girl's body had become as black as the shadow was, and was forming into the same entity the hand was. She actually became part of the hand as the shadow that was left from the girl was absorbed into the appendix. The hand then dissipated into the ground, with nothing left of the girl. Melissa ran to where the girl once was, her tears splashing onto the floor.

"Why?" she yelled. "This is sickening."

"But it's what the scum like her deserve," she heard a raspy man behind her growl. She slowly and methodically rose to her feet, planting her left heel on the floor ever so slowly as she used her right foot to pivot herself towards this man.

She recognized him immediately. He had a thick, black goatee on his long and skinny face, a black turtleneck sweater on with white slacks, and white low top shoes that looked to be a little worn out. The long nose and brown eyes were what she saw first before she looked over anything else on him, and that was enough for her to know who this short man actually was.

"Keishi!" she roared. "You're the one who caused them to do it!"

_**"He's the man that those Keishites followed."**_

"I'd have you know," Keishi said as his long, black hair stayed stiff during his slow approach towards Melissa, "that what they did made me proud to call them my sons."

"Your sons? They killed innocent children! There was no reason for them to do what they did!"

Keishi walked up as close as he could to Melissa and began to raise one of his dusty hands towards her red locks. "Don't lie to me, Queen Beryl! You loved seeing those children be sacrificed for me. They are with me, after all. Right where they belong."

Melissa listened as this man had his hand in her hair, trying to caress and seduce her in some way she did not understand. "You're a sick bastard!"

"I have to be. It's the way this world is anymore. You know how normal humans are. They hold on to their failed beliefs like it's their saving grace. Those cowards in the United Nations aren't going to extract justice when they need to, so we have to do it for them, and do the right thing when they won't."

She eyed that hand, and swore to herself that if he moved it anymore into her hair, she was going to act. "By blowing up a goddamn school with kids still in it? What the hell does that prove?"

"That we're willing to show those bastards in the U.N. that we mean business. We will get what we want, or else their biggest treasures get what they deserve."

Not only did that hand go even further into her hair (she didn't know why she let him get as far as he did to begin with), but she could feel her throat becoming warmer, and it was from something she didn't want to feel inside of it. She gripped the caressing hand and tossed him over her shoulder. His back collided with the ground hard, echoing across the room.

"You coward!" she cried. "That's not justice. That's terrorism! And, in case you forgot, Keishi, I did express interest of joining the U.N. to the secretary-general. It was only because my kingdom wasn't declared a country yet that they couldn't accept it, but Cecil Moon did encourage me to keep trying, and that he was proud of..."

"Princess Melissa," she suddenly heard a male voice say from behind her. She turned around to see a shadow outline of a man who walked towards her younger self, who she also saw there. This ten year old version of herself looked up at the male, though she looked as if she had just turned around when Melissa did.

"Hmm?" the young Melissa asked.

The male sighed deeply and knelt down to the young Melissa. "It's not going to be easy to tell you this, but it's about your parents."

"Are they okay?"

"Well," the male said, sighing again. "They were heading to their peace meeting, as you know. It was to be on Mars, and they passed the Moon when something..." He paused.

"What happened? What happened to my mom?"

"They collided with another shuttle, and both shuttles..."

_**"No, don't make me have to watch..."**_

_**"You must face it if you are to rid yourself of your demons. It's what still haunts you."**_

"What's going on?" the young Melissa said.

"No one," the male gulped hard, "no one survived the collision."

The young Melissa took exactly three steps back—Melissa counted as she watched the girl do so—and then shouted, "No! You're lying! They're okay! Mom! Dad! They're all right! You have to be lying!"

"I'm sorry, Melissa! You're parents aren't coming back. I wish I was lying to you!"

"_No_!" the younger Melissa screamed. She punched the leg of the male repeatedly. The male took all the blows without objection. "You must be lying! They can't be dead! They _can't_!"

Melissa could only look away from the scene, though she heard several footsteps, probably from the younger one running from the male.

"And so it began," she heard a female voice, once again behind her. However, Melissa didn't even look back when she heard it. That voice was the one that she actually had wanted to meet face to face. This was her chance.

"Metaria," she growled.

"You know full well you began to show who you really were on that day. You ran from it!"

"You liar! I would never..."

She was interrupted by who she saw when she turned around. She could've sworn it was Metaria's voice. In fact, it was her voice. However, when she looked towards the figure that she heard taking small footsteps towards her, she saw that it wasn't Metaria that had the voice, but rather...herself! It was a manifestation of Beryl, in her purple dress, with her tiara on her head. Everything about Queen Beryl that told Melissa about that time in the Dark Kingdom was true on this figure. Her determination to face Metaria turned into complete fear as she stepped back.

"Yes, you would," the figure said as she continued to approach Melissa. "In fact, you embraced the corruption since the day you were born!"

"The..._corruption_?"

"No one can escape it, Melissa. You obviously couldn't! Serenity couldn't! Hell, even Serena is showing signs of corruption. It's everywhere, in the minds and hearts of everyone it chooses to seep into. There's no sense in fighting it. In fact, the feeling of it taking over your soul feels nice."

Melissa couldn't believe what she was hearing, and she couldn't keep this pace up forever as this woman continued to quicken her steps. She was reminded that she still had her socks on, which meant that she had absolutely no traction on the smooth surface of the blue marble floor. She felt herself sliding every time she took a step back. "No, you witch! It feels horrible. It made me sick to know what I was capable of."

"Everyone thinks that, Melissa. But look at what you gain: unlimited strength and power. You are so weak without it. Not only can you not face me, but look how much of a pitiful creature you've become. You care about these humans, when they don't care about you. Not that man who's helping you now, not Serena, certainly not Raye, and not even those four General pukes you continued to tote around like trophies Hell, Casto hates you, even."

"Those Generals were my friends," Melissa answered. "And Casto...you say one bad thing about him..."

"Because of what? Why does it matter to you? What is it about him that makes you want to protect him so much? You couldn't even protect your own kingdom when you didn't have that corruption! But once you did, my God, you delivered. You gave that Moon Kingdom a taste of its own medicine. Did you really think you would've been able to extract revenge on Serenity for what she did to you if you didn't embrace the corruption?"

Melissa stopped back stepping as she gasped in horror. "What revenge?"

"Don't play dumb with me! You know what I'm talking about. Or is it that you're still scared to admit what happened to you after that terrorist attack? Your parents kicking the bucket; those children dying. Those aren't the only things you fear, is it? There's one more thing that you still haven't even told Zoycite. It's what caused what some of your advisers called the Sailor Earth Uprising!"

"You shut up about that time!" Melissa growled. "I know nothing about any Sailor Earth Uprising!"

"It was because of how they felt about what happened to you! I'm surprised, with all this talk about you loving peace, you never mentioned once about you having desires to join the Silver Project, or Silver Millennium Project, or whatever that bitch Serenity called it. Too bad they won't ever know why you never bring it up. It's too bad they will never know what really haunted you so much that you took her offer. Those people who only think they know why it was called that and write those stories about a real Sailor Earth! If they only knew what it really was, they would be what you are not: brave soldiers for the cause, and know that the Moon Kingdom deserved what it got. Too bad they will never know, because you will always be the coward! Until the end, never wanting to face the one day that changed her life forever!"

Melissa took deep breaths, seething while looking at the woman who continued to approach her. The encroachment—and her words—was all it took for her to try to strike her with a punch to the face. The manifestation, however, caught her punch and used it to toss her to her side. Melissa collided with the ground so hard that some of her wind got knocked out of her. She did all she could to regain her breath and get back up. However, as she got to her hands and knees, the manifestation kicked her in the ribs as if she was going for three points. It made Melissa get knocked back further as her entire spine collided with the floor, and she was slow to get back up from.

As she returned to her feet, she saw the manifestation change form and grow larger. This time, it was a huge shadowy blob with appendages. As it inched towards Melissa, she could hear noise coming from within the blob's body. They were voices of those she had known throughout her life, and those she could only hope to remember. As the figure continued to make its way towards the slowly rising Melissa, she began to see the images of the same people she had heard the voices from, although she couldn't make out what the loud voices were saying from all the crosstalk that was going on. Whatever they were saying to her, it wasn't in a comforting tone. She used her hands to back herself up from the creature. She could feel it overtake her: the fear of whatever this thing was, and the more her eyes, as frozen to the creature as they were, remained on it, the more frightened she became. She could also see burning and crumbling buildings from within the figure that lowered its right hand towards her. She tried to scamper away from the creature, but was not able to as the thing grabbed her by the temple and hoisted her into the air.

She tried to flail. As much as she tried to move some, or any, muscles, though, she found it impossible as her limbs just hung down vertically against her body. The beast had a firm grip on her head, used no effort to keep her high off the ground, and began to move her towards its main body. She found that part of the blob had begun to open itself, and she was headed straight for it without any defense.

_**"Wh-What is this?"**_

_**"Melissa?"**_

She continued to cry as she began to see something form in what could've been the mouth of the creature. It was another figure, but it was a fiery one that looked to be made of the same material as the blob that had her paralyzed in the air. The figure screamed out, "_Melissa, you will accept me!"_

Melissa could not say or do anything, but the figure turned into her manifestation again. It appeared to be burned alive by the flames, but she wasn't as she stood inside of them without incident. It was what Melissa saw out of the manifestation next: the eyes began burning fire, and it roared. When it did the latter, the teeth were as razor sharp as a lion's, and it looked ready to chomp onto Melissa. "_Accept me_! _It is your destiny_!"

**-xxxxx-**

As soon as Melissa saw that very image of herself, she quickly wrestled her hands out of Grandpa's and shot her eyes wide open. She never got back to her feet as fast as she did at that moment, and she flew to the back wall of the fire room, clenching her chest and panting heavily.

"_Melissa_!" Grandpa shouted as he got back up and ran to Melissa's aid.

"Wh—What the hell was that?" Melissa heaved. "That..._thing_!"

"It was," Grandpa began, "I don't know. It was frightening to look at!"

"I couldn't move! As much as I tried, I just couldn't. It was like I was accepting that damned thing back into my life, even when I swore on my soul I would never do so again!"

"Was that the thing that forced you to do the things you feel regret for?"

"The woman! That bitch ruined my life, but what I saw was something new! Gramps," Melissa paused to get a heavy breath out, "I never felt so scared in my life as I was when I saw that thing."

"What were the voices?"

"My parents, the girls, Casto, my friends from my true past, all saying that they hated me! They all were saying that they wanted me to burn in the pits of Hell! Then I saw myself become the Devil Himself!"

"You're gonna be all right now, Melissa. You faced all of it. You know what haunts you now, do you? You know now what scares you?"

Melissa's hand came back to her side as she began to calm herself. "It's me! I'm scared that whatever is trying to get me back will succeed. I don't want to go back. I never want to return to that place, and I'm so scared that she'll force me back, and that I'll do things that I don't want to do to the people I care about again. I'm scared that they really think like that about me."

"They do not. I know Serena loves you, and I know they all have their own way of saying that they care about you now. They don't want to see you go back, either. As for that person you speak of. You know she's trying, and she isn't going to stop until she succeeds. But you know her, and you know how to stop her from getting you back." Grandpa eased his hands off of Melissa as he continued. "You know, there's an old saying that goes 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.' It means that you were easily fell for her tricks because you didn't know who she was and she got you at the worst time. But if you go there again, you go with knowledge of the last time you got tricked. You're better prepared to counter those plans because you know what she will try to entice you with, and you have a duty to not let yourself get tangled up into what caused you to have these fears."

Melissa smiled and nodded. "You're right, Gramps. I know all about that bitch now. I've got an advantage no one else has against her."

"And that's what you can help your friends with.'

Melissa nodded again, but with narrow eyes this time. "Gramps, I'm curious: is there anything else you know about Raye that she doesn't know that you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean like..."

"And _that's_how you take care of tools like that airhead," they heard a voice echo from outside.

"What the...?" Grandpa asked.

"Rubeus," Melissa growled, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"Ruby...who?"

Melissa ran towards the front door. "Stay here, Gramps! This is a battle I need to finish! You gave me so much today. Let me return the favor. He isn't doing anything to this Shrine, Raye's distrust of me be damned!" With a very loud growl accompanying her words, Melissa raced out the door once she slipped her shoes back on.

Outside, she saw Rubeus towering over Chad's unconscious body, with Drillbit flanking him. Rubeus turned his head slightly to see Melissa at the base of the Shrine's front door steps. "Melissa, how are you going to explain what you just did to this poor fellow to Raye, eh? She's going to be pretty pissed when she finds out..."

"Get! The Hell! Away! From this shrine!" she sternly ordered. She stood completely still, with her feet planted flat on the ground and ready to strike at any moment.

"You are going to have some s'plaining to..."

"I don't think you heard me, Rubeus!" Melissa said again. "You have no business being here, and I swear on my soul, if you come any closer to this place, I _will_kill you!"

"Rubeus," Drillbit whispered, "what happened? I thought she wasn't even allowed here."

"Go and find out where that Raye bitch is, and make sure you lure her here. You remember how to use that power you got, right?"

"Yeah, I do. Don't worry, Rubeus! I'll take care of it!" Drillbit dissipated from view, leaving Rubeus to fend the ever-irate Melissa.

"What is your deal, huh, Melissa?" Rubeus asked. "You spend all your life in that shit hole and don't care for a soul, and then you suddenly have enough of a heart that you are willing to defend someone you once attacked. What gives, huh? And now you're saying that you'll kill me if I take one! Little!" He lifted his left foot and pushed it forward one pace. "Step!"

Without any warning, Melissa shot out her hand and a heavy lightning beam headed straight for his foot. Rubeus just barely got it back to where it was before he could get hit.

'_Woah,_' he thought, '_Drillbit was right! Something's happening here._'

"This is a sacred place. I am going to protect it, and you're going to have to kill me and drag me back to the Dark Kingdom if you expect me to come back. But I swear to God, Rubeus, I mean my words tonight! You're very lucky that beam missed that precious foot of yours. I warn you though, I don't miss twice."

"Too bad that only counts when you're cleaning up carcasses, now isn't it?"

Melissa fired another lightning beam at him. He dodged that one by rolling to his right. He did that for the next five beams that she fired.

'_Drillbit,_' Rubeus thought, '_hurry up! I have a feeling Beryl might've known about this plan, too!_'

**-xXXXXx-**

There was a small cafe near the Crown Game Center that sat on the corner of the street that led to Juuban School. It could only seat about twenty people, though many that were ordering food in the white-walled building were taking it home with them, with those very people waiting on the cloud white couch by the sky blue counter for their food. The reason for the theme: its name, the Sky Limit Cafe. It had only opened for a few weeks, but they were rather busy for how unknown they were at the time.

Though Casto and Raye, who sat in one of the three window booths on the school street side, didn't pay much attention to the patrons. As they sat at opposite ends of the table, Casto continued their conversation. "Why do you think she can't be trusted, though?" He took a bite of a roast beef sandwich, one of many basic international dishes the cafe served.

"Think about it, Casto," Raye answered before slurping down a bit of her soda through her straw. "If it wasn't for her, we would still be living on the Moon, and Serena would be the Moon Kingdom Queen by now. Serenity would still be alive today. And that woman tried to steal Darien from her. I don't get how we are all supposed to just accept her as our own after all the crap she put us through."

"I don't want to offend you, Raye, but what you mentioned your grandfather said about your parents. He may have a point."

Raye put her drink aside. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's a similar case to what I've had to go through when I was in L.A. Someone you were really close to did you wrong, and you have to get out the anger. However, since the person you have the real issue with isn't there for you to lash out at, you turn to the person who would be most susceptible to your words. Again, no offense, but I think maybe you have to at least put whatever that may be aside in order to see some of the things we've seen come out of Melissa."

"I'm sorry, Casto, but I can't trust her at all. I don't know how you guys can."

"I think it's because she's so far proven that she wants to try to make things right. She's done so much to help us fight Rubeus since declaring that she's on our side now. That, and she's befriended and helped us through a lot of our personal issues. She doesn't want it to be easy to earn our trust, either. She knows it'll be hard, but she's shown that she's going to try to do things right."

"And you would just accept it?"

Casto sighed deeply. "Raye, I'm not going to pretend that something might happen in the future that may put things into question. Hell, we all have the capacity to do evil things, but it goes with the scene of things. The people who were your allies today may be your enemies tomorrow, and those who were your enemies yesterday will be your best friends today. As much as you hate Melissa for leveling the Moon Kingdom, and stealing Darien, and all that other stuff, she probably hates herself for becoming what she was for so long. Imagine for a moment if that was you suddenly realizing that you could make things right where you went horribly wrong, but no one believed you were sincere. Yes, I know what she did was terrible, but I don't think she was acting on her own power. I think she was being used and manipulated by Metaria. In fact, I believe that was the name I heard was given to that entity I was telling you about a month or so ago."

Raye's eyes widened. "I forgot we were talking about that. We never got to finish that conversation the day Rubeus attacked the hospital and abducted Ikuko."

"That's why I am certain it could've been Metaria that was the name, and I'm also pretty sure now that it was her who orchestrated the plan from where I was seeing it."

"Which is why you think Beryl might not have been fully aware of what she was doing. I remember you saying that she had varying expressions, with some of them being guilt."

"Yeah! Something tells me that deep down, she didn't want to do it. I believe that, in her mind, for some reason, what she did was the only option around whatever was bothering her. Either that, or she got convinced by Metaria that it was the right way. It's also why I believe that she wouldn't want to willingly go back there. Whoever this Metaria person is must be rather convincing."

"Do you," Raye paused, "trust her? I know you believe that she wouldn't go back, but do you trust her as much as Serena does?"

"Will you be angry if I said yes, I do?"

"I know I wouldn't be able to change your mind or Serena's."

"Would you want to? Look, one of the things I love about Serena is that she's always very forgiving. She has always been able to let go of grudges. I think that's a reason why her sudden anger highs have been scaring us. We've never seen that out of her, though I can't blame her after all she's gone through lately. As for me, I think Melissa's doing _too_much to convince us. I believe and trust her to make things right. I know Melissa can never change what she did in the past, and it's in the past. But I believe she wants to write her own future, and that we can trust her with our lives." He heard Raye give out a very depressing sigh. He leaned on the table and looked into her eyes. "Raye, I know you don't like me saying that or believing that, and I may not be your most favorite person because of it, but it's something I deeply believe now. Melissa is definitely on our side. Besides, Rubeus would've blown it by now. He's really bad at keeping secrets."

"I know," Raye exhaled as she looked out the window. '_Maybe grandpa is right. I do hate my father for abandoning me for his job, and I've never felt able to get that out.'_

"I was going to go to her apartment later to ask her about helping me bust Mister Koa, but since she's at the Shrine, I'll stop there if she's still in that class."

"I think it was more than..." It was the last thing Raye could say before she heard screams coming from outside. "What the hell?"

"Time for me to do a little fixin' up around here," called out the booming voice of a familiar foe. It was followed by the sounds of a drill, and then a chainsaw.

"Drillbit?" Casto asked. "He actually got a new hand?" He looked out the window to see a flurry of people running past the cafe, though he could not see Drillbit.

"That's the direction," Raye started before she gasped. "Of the Shrine!"

"You don't think...!"

"Oh, my God! _Grandpa_!"

'_Not when I was beginning to get through to her._'

They both stormed out of their seat—with Casto dropping a tip and money for the meal on the table—and outside, praying for the best...but expecting the worst.

* * *

Thank you to my beta and to all the readers who have been reading this from the beginning. Hopefully you continue reading. It's near the end now, but far from the end of the Saga.

Good night, and good luck.


	11. Mind Games

WAR GAMES  
CHAPTER 11  
Mind Games

Written by Darkpower  
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)**  
**

* * *

Raye darted out of the Sky Limit Cafe as if her life depended on it. In a way, it did. Drillbit, or at least what sounded like him, was terrorizing the citizens of Juuban with first a drill, and then a chainsaw. The latter was the sound that especially frightened Casto, who was also running towards the scene. The sounds came from the direction of the Hikawa Shrine, where Raye knew Melissa Beryl and her grandfather were having a meditation class together.

Raye got halfway down the street before she caught Drillbit's red body from the right corner of her eye. His hand was repaired. In fact, she thought it was even upgraded: it now sported a more chrome look to it, and it looked a lot larger in size. It was probably how he was able to get that small chainsaw that was running to be able to change over.

"Drillbit," Raye shouted. "If you did anything to him..."

"Oh," Drillbit answered as he stopped the saw and looked towards Raye and the arriving Casto. "So you did hear this? They should've listened to me when I told them it would be too loud."

"Where's Rubeus, Drillbit?" Casto asked. "He better not be..."

"Why don't you look for yourself? After all, your precious Melissa is still there. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if she's done him in already."

"You bastard!" Raye roared. "If _anyone_ has hurt him, I will unleash hellfire on all your asses!"

"Ha! Even that bitch, Melissa's? And here I was worried that you were actually beginning to trust her."

'_No,_' Casto thought. '_I was getting through to her._' "She means you and your pitiful master, you idiot!"

"Oh, I think she means a bit different. Why don't you go and see how bloody Queen Beryl made your grandpa? I'm sure the blood's escaping right now!"

"Raye," Casto whispered to her, "get to the Shrine. Something seems off about this. He's too eager for us to see this."

"Got that right! For her sake...no, for everyone's sakes, I hope you're proven right tonight."

"If I'm wrong, then God help us all! _Go_!" Raye scurried towards the Shrine, leaving Casto to battle Drillbit. "You have some damn nerve to scare her like that!"

"Sure! Accuse me of lying. Won't change her grandpa's fate, now will it? By the way, we never bluff!"

"You did with that so-called bomb in the school!"

"We just didn't get to finish it yet. It exists, just not where you'll be expecting it."

Casto grabbed his Vulture Medal from his necklace and looked over the section of the street to make sure that no one else was around. "You should take your own damn advice! Vulture Medal Power! Suit up!" Shadowy swirls shot into the medal as he held it out in front of him. The swirls changed his outfit from a blue school suit to a gray and black one as he embraced the transformation that ended with a pair of vulture wings donning his back for only a moment before dissipating.

"Ah, the Sailor of Death himself!" Drillbit exclaimed.

"Yeah, you should know me! I am the personification of unity! I stand for truth and strength in all peoples across all worlds! I will right the wrongs you have caused and triumph over the evil you have created! I am Sailor Vulture!"

"The Sailor of Death will _become_ death," Drillbit yelled before shooting his nail gun at him. He jumped up over them and towards his attacker. He extended his leg and kicked him in the chest on the way down. As Vulture landed cleanly, he spun around on his heel and landed a backhanded punch to him, which made him stagger. However, as he did so, Drillbit changed his tool to a huge wrench weapon. As Vulture came in with another punch, Drillbit swung the wrench and hit Vulture in the ribs, making him fall to the ground in front of the enemy.

"Your sister almost killed me with that scepter of hers, and I remember what she was doing to me. Now it's time for me to show you what I went through!" He raised his tool hand and tried to strike Vulture again in the ribs. Vulture, however, grabbed the wrench out of the air and held it off with all of his strength.

"Your hand works wonders, but you're still too dependent on it. All it takes is one bad move for you to lose it, and it's all over."

Vulture tried to pull on the wrench, but Drillbit used all of his strength to instead take him and fling him over his shoulder with the wrench, making Vulture cry out in pain from colliding with the cement.

"Yeah," Drillbit cheered, "and you should really see some of the upgrades I've received." He extended his other hand into the air and shot up a stream of pure electromagnetic energy that was encased in dark matter. The stream sprouted upwards and then came back down right onto Vulture. The power was enough to make him scream out horrifically in pain. "You should learn not to mess with me! I don't get mad like your sister. I get even!"

Vulture wasted no time getting out his communicator. "Serena! I need help! Drillbit's...what the hell?" He saw nothing but static on his screen. He pushed a few more buttons. "Darien, are you...?" He got a message saying that the connection couldn't be established. "Shit! What the hell?"

Drillbit just looked at his fallen foe and chuckled. "You don't get it yet? After what I just hit you with? You didn't see how no one has come to save you yet? Electromagnetic field! No one can see inside of it, and no one is getting in or out! Let's just say I wanted to make a statement!"

'_This shield. It sounds like the same one Hammerthor used. But Melissa is caught...damn it, they have no idea yet!_'

"And to make matters worse, I can shoot out that same kind of energy straight at you, like this!" Drillbit released the same stream of energy again, this time aimed at Vulture. The sheer force of it made him skid back further, and the strength of it made him scream in pain. "You should see what else I can do with this new power."

Vulture was too much in pain to call on any of his powers as he could only clench his back and his ribs to brace the pain. It didn't help him that Drillbit was moving in on him yet again.

**-xXXXXx-**

Rubeus was right on top of the Hikawa Shrine's hill, though his destination and target were inside of the Shrine. It was both that Melissa was not about to let him get anywhere near, as she fired shot after shot of her purple lightning energy at him, which could've been with an intent to kill him. He dodged every shot, but felt thankful that he was able to do so, though she was beginning to shoot yet again.

"You fail again, Melissa!" Rubeus smirked. "You're just one person! There's no way you can keep me from entering this Shrine!" He began to try to jump up onto the porch of the Shrine. However, he was instead met by a hard lighting strike. Melissa ran behind the lightning and was able to bash him with her shoulder right after the bolt while he was still in the air. As his back collided with the ground, she hovered over him with an arm outstretched and harshly narrowed eyes.

"You really want to try me?" Melissa snarled. "I told you! If you even tried to come anywhere near this Shrine, I would kill you, and that I don't miss twice!" She picked Rubeus up by his shirt and slammed his back against a tree, his feet off the ground. "Yet you still want to test my words!"

"What is it with you and this Shrine? I thought Serena had her hidden bitchy side, but you, on the other hand, I knew was one by herself!"

Melissa roared and tossed him into another tree near the hill steps. "If you know what's best for you, you will leave now! You have no business being here!"

He got back to his feet, albeit slowly, and back up, near the steps. He whispered, "Metaria, what's going on? She's never been like this. I know she can be easily angered, but still..."

"_'Rubeus, I hear you!'_," he heard Metaria say telepathically into his mind. "_'This is not good. If she is that determined to protect the Shrine, then we really need to act fast. Plus, I just saw that Raye is on her way there. You need to get into that Shrine now!'_"

"Easier said than done, I'm afraid," Rubeus said. He saw Melissa ready to strike again with her lightning, and began to reach for his Hizrounswa Gun. "Desperate times call for desperate measures." He set the gun to level three and, before Melissa was able to launch another beam, fired the gun's wave weapon right at her. The wave was enough to be able to make her fall to one knee. Rubeus smirked as he approached Melissa while continuing to fire his gun. "Now, Melissa, what were you saying about killing me if I approached the Shine again, eh? I don't think you're in any condition to do that, now are you?"

Melissa tried to get back up to her feet, but found it difficult to do so. She could feel the inside of her body beginning to burn, and the more she struggled, the harder it became for her to even be on one knee. '_No. The vision. I can't move, and he wants to get me back to the Dark Kingdom. I won't go back, Rubeus! You can burn me alive if you want! I won't fall to you!_'

Rubeus got to the front steps of the Shrine when he saw someone open the front door. It was Grandpa. "Melissa, what's going on?" He then realized that a man with a gun emitting a wave stood in front of him. "Who the hell are you?"

"So, you're 'Gramps', are you?" Rubeus yelled. "This became a hell of a lot easier."

"Gramps!" Melissa cried. "Get back inside, _now_!"

"Don't hurt her, Rubeus!" Grandpa yelled. He then ran out and jumped onto Rubeus' back. It forced him to cease firing the wave beam, but he threw Grandpa off of him quickly. As he fell to one knee, he tried to get back to his feet. The second he did so, Rubeus pivoted and smacked him hard in the cheek with his Hizrounswa Gun. The impact was so hard it made him fly back through the Shrine door, and a small streak of blood was seen on the wall into which he collided. It was from a cut that Rubeus made from his gun, and it was one that made him smile in approval.

"_Gramps_!" Melissa screeched. She fought as hard as she possibly could to get back to her feet, which she managed, though she was finding it tough to stay on those feet. She fired another lightning beam at him, which he dodged, though he stood shocked afterwards.

"B-But that weapon should've made usage of magic unbearable," Rubeus said.

Melissa winced at the pain she felt as she fired another beam right at him. He jumped into the air and onto the roof of the Shrine.

'_You're right, Rubeus! It is unbearable to have to fire this with my entire body burning up, but I will protect this Shrine!_'

"Don't worry, Melissa," Rubeus snickered. "I already did enough to make you look guilty. You're ready to kill me, and yet, you haven't even looked at your precious friend's condition yet."

Melissa looked over to see Grandpa bleeding still. She gasped at the sight of his near unconscious body. However, she fled into the Shrine and skidded on both knees to assist him. "Gramps, are you okay?"

"Yes, Melissa," Grandpa said weakly as Melissa wrapped her arms around him. "I think I will be. I just need some time to get my strength back."

"What the hell were you thinking?" she scolded. Not only was she unaware that some of his blood began to drip onto her right hand, but she also was not aware that Rubeus had jumped down off of the Shrine roof and slowly raised his Hizrounswa Gun at the old man. "I told you to stay inside!"

"I couldn't let a member of the Shrine take punishment like that. I'm sorry, Melissa."

"If something were to happen to you..."

"This is all I need," Rubeus yelled. Melissa turned her head to see him switch the level of the gun. "Level six, on that pretty wound he has on his head. Too bad that's not what she's gonna think happened."

Melissa gritted her teeth, trying to keep her composure as she rested Grandpa's head on the wall softly before getting to her feet and standing in front of him. "Don't you dare, Rubeus! I told you before, you're going to have to kill me, and I'm not about to let you in here."

"It's too late, Melissa," Rubeus smirked. "As you can see, I've already won. All I have to do is to kill that pathetic being behind you, and their trust in you will be as good as gone."

"You actually think that they will believe it was me?"

"One, Raye hates your guts already, and two, not when his blood is on your hand!"

Melissa looked at her hand to see that it was indeed covered in his blood. '_When I was holding him just now. And that smear of blood on the wall. Rubeus, you cowardly son of a bitch._'

"Just move over and let me finish it! God knows you really want me to."

"No, Rubeus!" Melissa growled.

"I'm not going to kill you, Melissa! Not yet, anyway, but I will move you if you don't move yourself!"

"Then do it, Rubeus! Try it! I'm not moving! If you want him enough, then you will move me to get to him!"

Rubeus hummed at the idea. "Well, then, if that's the way you want me to play this game!" He fired the gun right at Melissa, and it hit dead center on her chest. It was the beam, and it made her drop to one knee immediately, and then on her stomach.

"Aw, how pitifully pathetic," he said as he walked up to Melissa's fallen body. "Too bad that you didn't notice me change it to level three. I'm not about to rob myself of this scene just yet. I assure you, though, he _will_ die!" He kicked Melissa hard in the ribs, making her tumble slightly to the right. It cleared his path to the grandfather. "Now, _Gramps_, back to level six for you. Don't worry about your new friend there. She'll be fine. It's you I want!"

"Why do you want her so badly?" Grandpa asked somberly. "What has she ever done to you to make you want her to take the blame for my death?"

'_Yes, Rubeus,_" Melissa agreed as she began to use the wall to struggle back to her feet. '_You're working so damn hard at this. What's in it for you?_'

"She needs to learn what happens when you backstab me, which is that I then make her life a living hell!"

"Wait!" Melissa yelled. "_I_ backstabbed _you_?"

"I am your king, after all, Melissa. You are supposed to be serving _me_, and _I_ said that you are still in service to me!"

"The _hell_ I am!"

"You will once she sees him dead with his blood on your hands."

Grandpa narrowed his eyes. "And what makes you think I'm going to just _let_ you kill me?"

"Because you have no other..." He paused to take his gun and smack Grandpa once more in the face, which made the wound that Rubeus aimed for larger. He smirked and leaned forward, "Choice!"

As she saw the old man being assaulted again, Melissa's entire body quaked. Once she got back up, she charged him, ignoring any pain she had felt. She tackled him and pinned him to the floor, and punched him hard in the face twice. "Leave him alone!"

'_What's taking her so long?_' Rubeus thought as he got pounded by Melissa's fists. '_I thought she was on her way._'

**-xXXXXx-**

Raye's trek towards the Shrine was the same as before. She felt herself running short of breath as she raced through alleys and traffic trying to push herself to reach the Shrine. It was a good thing that the sun was setting and giving way to stars and moon, or else she would've been worse off. However, she found that some of the alleyways were actually sending her in wrong directions. She wished she had a mental map of these alleys. She knew she was never that good at navigating those things, even when she had spent her entire life in this city. Why she decided to use them now, she would never know.

As she entered into a brick-lined alleyway, she retrieved her communicator from her shirt pocket and pressed a few buttons. "Sailors, we have major..." She didn't get anywhere else before she was met with the same thing Casto had gotten: Communication Not Available. She stopped running as she pressed some buttons once more. "Sailors, this is Raye. Please respond." She thought she saw someone on the monitor, but she couldn't make it out through all of the static. That was followed by it once again calling the communication useless. She dialed in one more time, but this time to someone specific. "Serena, this is Raye. Are you hearing me?" This time, there was only a black screen followed by flickering snow on the monitor, then the same message.

"Casto's right. Something doesn't seem right about this. It's as if they knew we would be coming here." Raye put her communicator away and retrieved her Mars pen. She began to hold it up, but stopped short of calling for her Mars Power. "If I transformed now, and went there as Sailor Mars, I don't know if I would be able to show anyone how much I really care for them, because they won't know it's me. At the same time, though, I won't be able to protect myself if something goes wrong." Narrowing her eyes, she put the pen away—though keeping it very accessible from her pocket—and headed towards the Shrine.

'_Beryl was able to block communication before, though_,' she thought as she ran. '_Casto, I have a feeling you were wrong. Beryl must be behind this, and she will pay with her life._'

**-xXXXXx-**

Serena and her family—with Sammy, who had stood on the opposite end of the group from Ikuko—were near the front door of the waiting room in the hospital. Serena had a bright smile on her face as Doctor Mesta wheeled out Patrica Haruna in a wheelchair. The teacher was conscious, that was for sure from the smile that she returned upon seeing her student-slash-friend.

That student-slash-friend was also the first one to hug her once she stood up from the chair. Haruna returned the embrace with a small tear rolling down her cheek.

"It's great to see you okay," Serena said.

"I can't wait to get back to my life again," Haruna answered.

"I would have to inform the School Authority of your decision," Mesta interrupted. "They wanted to keep track of your condition to know the technical stuff. At least they pretended they cared."

"You can tell them I am coming back on Monday." Haruna turned to Serena. "I hope your grades kept improving."

"Well," Serena said, looking down, "there's something you need to be aware of about those grades."

Haruna put her hands onto Serena's shoulders. "Please don't tell me that you started slipping again, girl!"

"Don't be surprised to see a sudden "F" or two in that grade book from me or Casto."

"Nonsense! I won't...ugh!" Haruna suddenly gripped her ribcage and grimaced a bit.

"Don't try to do too much," Mesta ordered. "I would expect some times where you'll be experiencing some sharp pains. They aren't anything to worry about, but they'll remind you that you're still healing. I'm still against signing your clearance papers to return to work, but I've gone with wishes against my better judgment before. I just hope this isn't a time I should've refused your clearance."

"I'll be fine, Mesta," Haruna smiled.

"Just so you know and that we're clear, because of the premature release, I'm going to have to have you sign a release form that states that you will relieve the hospital of any and all fault if anything were to happen within the two weeks that you have to heal. In other words, if something happens to you, it won't be our fault."

"All I ask is that you let me get back to my job, Doctor. Teaching is my life. It's all I know how to do. I would die if I couldn't."

Mesta sighed deeply. "I know how you feel. It's not just a job to me to be a doctor, but a way of life. I care for all my patients, and I take their cases extremely seriously. I'll come back in a few minutes with the papers for you to sign, and then you'll be on your way." He went into his office and closed the door.

"You're grades slipped?" Haruna asked.

"Mister Koa's doing," Serena said. "You won't believe what we've had to put up with now. School has become the Halls of Torture again."

"Harold Koa. How he still has a job is beyond me. If it were any other teacher, I would've halfway considered Mesta's recommendation. How are Molly and Melvin doing?"

Serena let out a very loud sigh. "Actually, that's part of something you may not believe. They were..."

"That was very quick," they heard Doctor Mesta utter as he came out of his office and towards Patrica. "Didn't expect that printer to go that fast. Usually it takes forever. Here we go!" He laid a few pieces of paper with a bunch of legal words in the text. Patrica read it through, squinting while wondering what some of the words meant. Mesta continued, "The first page you need to sign is the release form, and the other one is what relieves us of the fault."

She nodded as she took the pen that was on the clerk's desk and signed both sheets of paper fluidly. She handed both of them back to Mesta and smiled. "So am I good to go now?"

"Yes. But before you go, I need to inform you of a few things. First, as I said, you will be feeling sharp pains every once in a while for a few weeks. While there is no reason to be worried, if they continue for more than about thirty seconds, call me and make sure you don't need to be readmitted. I would take it easy for a few weeks or so. No heavy lifting until then. Secondly, I called the School Authority, and there wasn't anyone at the office, so you're going to have to call them when you have a chance."

"No one at the office?" Haruna asked with a confused tone. "I've never heard of them not having someone there until eleven at night, and the time's not quite there yet. No answering machine or anything?"

"No, no voice mail."

"All right! I'll give them a call when I get home. I know who to talk to if I can't get a hold of the S.A. He's usually at home by now, and he doesn't go to bed until late."

"I wish you the best of luck, Miss Haruna. Remember, though, no matter what, you're very lucky to even be alive. You should thank your friends for getting you here and finding you when they did." Mesta and Haruna shared acknowledging nods before Mesta left them.

"Serena, I'll call you tomorrow. You can talk to me then about what's been going on at the school. No one's told me yet. It's not like them to leave me in the dark for anything."

"You were close to death, though, so I don't know if they would be able to."

"No, it's just an excuse. Remember when I said I wasn't allowed to serve detentions anymore?" Serena nodded, though she tried to hide her surprise. "That, their continuing to employ Harold, and only caring about re-election is just a few of the things I cannot stand about them. Even then, though, they have always kept me up to date somehow no matter what. They called about my condition, but don't tell him about what Harold has done?"

"Patrica," Ikuko interrupted, "you sure you're going to be okay with going back?"

"Yes. Thank you, Ikuko, and to all of you for caring so much about me. I couldn't ask for better friends. I had better be going now so I can catch that guy before he hits the sack. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Serena." Haruna walked—slowly—out of the hospital, clenching her ribs somewhat as she did so.

"Don't worry, Serena," Reenie said as she held her hand. "She's going to be fine. She's a stubborn one, just like you are."

Serena narrowed her eyes evilly as the pupils came down towards the child. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, I mean in a good way. You don't let anything get in your way, just like her. I just wish I had that kind of nerve."

"You do, Reenie," Serena said. "You helped us so much, and helped me even more. If it wasn't for you, my mom would be dead right now. I appreciate that you've protected Sammy, too."

"I would do anything to help him, and to help you, too. Even if that means making sure you are safe."

"Wow! That's different! Last time you and I met, you couldn't stand me."

"What do you mean?"

Serena let out another loud sigh. "Pluto's right! A lot has changed since..."

"...and you're vibrating."

"...since...wait! Vibrating?"

"Your jeans pocket. I think..."

Serena looked around to make sure that the waiting room was still barren of any other life, then reached into her pocket to retrieve her (vibrating) Sailor communicator. "It's all static!"

"Not good at all!" Sammy mentioned.

"Who is this?" Serena asked into the communicator.

"Sailors...major...Serena...hear me..." were the words through the static that Serena heard. They were jumbled with the sounds of heavy static.

"That sounds a lot like your friend, Raye," Kenji proclaimed.

"Something's going on," Serena said. She pressed a few more buttons. "Casto! Casto! This is your sister! I need your..." She could only see static on her screen. "Damn it! It's the same with him. What the...?" She then found a small red light flashing to indicate another incoming call. She pressed the button next to the light. This time, it was Amy.

"Serena, did you just get a jumbled message from Raye?" the blue Sailor asked.

"Yes, and I tried to call Casto, but got nothing but static there, too."

"I scanned where she and him might be. There's some weird electromagnetic shield hovering over a lot of Juuban. I can't make out what it's from, but..."

"...I can take a wild guess of who's behind it: Rubeus!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Sailor Vulture was laid out on the ground, hardly able to move a single muscle as Drillbit continued to fire his electric beam straight at him. Each hit made Vulture squirm in pain, and each squirm just made Drillbit continue shooting him.

"Go ahead and try again to call them," Drillbit growled. "I want to make sure your good-for-nothing sister is on the other end when I make you scream from my drill slicing your heart open!"

He would have reacted to such a statement if his feet would just move to kick the Youma that was towering over him. He tried, and couldn't, however.

"C'mon, Casto! I know you want Serena to hear your dying moments! Or would you rather me torture you more before you decide to tell her how much you love her and will never forget her. Admit it, Casto, you want her to hear that. You've always wanted her to be there in life and death."

"Go to Hell, you sick freak!" Vulture said through his gritted teeth.

"You forget, we're already _in_ Hell! Raye will soon find out the truth about the woman you only think you can trust now, and you won't be around to see the fireworks once she sees dear old granddad dead, blood splattered, with Melissa red-handed, if you know what I mean!"

"Melissa would never hurt him!"

"She already did! Oh, wait, you were too much of a coward to be there when Zoycite revealed him to be one of the Rainbow Crystal carriers, now weren't you?"

Vulture clenched his fists. He could feel another wave of energy coming to him, but extremely slowly. However, before he could do anything about it, he was lifted to his feet by Drillbit. That was followed by him being slammed into a brick wall.

Drillbit pinned Vulture onto that wall with his drill weapon right at Casto's throat. "You know, on second thought, I could just leave you a bloody mess right now, then see how she reacts to your dead body. All without the single chance to say goodbye!"

Vulture kicked Drillbit in the gut, getting him off of him for only a few moments. Drillbit turned his tool into a wrench, then smacked Vulture with it in the face. It gave him a scar on his face that began to bleed. Drillbit then took the wrench and shoved it under Vulture's arm. He used it to pick Vulture high off the ground and over his shoulder. Vulture was once more on his back, with Drillbit approaching once more. He turned back to the drill tool and made it run quickly.

However, it was at that moment that Casto knew he could retaliate the way he really wanted to, and as he saw Drillbit near him, he outstretched his hands and yelled, "Vulture Attack!" The screaming vulture shadow smacked right into Drillbit's scrotum, making him fall to his back. Vulture returned to his feet, now with a sense of determination in his eyes as he braced his pain. "What are you really doing to her grandfather? Tell me, or you get another smack, and I'll make sure you remember it."

"Melissa is going to kill him!"

Vulture swiftly grabbed Drillbit's throat and choked him. "Trust me, you idiot, I can fire my Vulture before you can even think of firing at me now! I know you're lying. Tell me what the hell you're even _doing_ here!"

"We know Melissa's here, and want to finish her off for betraying the Dark Kingdom!"

Vulture slammed Drillbit's head into the pavement. "_Bullshit_! You're not very good liars. You came here looking for a fight with someone else, and I remember Rubeus trying to entice her before."

Drillbit laughed. "Go ahead, Vulture! Kill me! If you really wanted the truth, you would've been at the Shrine by now instead of messing with me. You'll just be wasting your time. I remember all the bickering your precious Sailors did the last time we were reawakened because of not being able to get along with each other. Melissa is doing the exact same thing to your group. She's going to tear them apart!"

"The hell she is! She's actually making us stronger. And you'll have a hard time trying to tell me she will. I trust her with my life, and I would never have it any different."

"Suit yourself, you imbecile! You have no idea how much you do not know about anything. Your fates were decided before you or Serena were even born! The Moon Kingdom could not hide from its fate, and neither can any of you! We had our 'Day of Revenge', and we will soon have our day of triumph! You think you know _everything_, when you really know _nothing_!" Vulture's hand collapsed as Drillbit vanished suddenly.

"I know much more than you, pal!" Vulture screamed. Following it, however, he gasped. "Wait a minute! Knowing everything, when I know nothing! He seemed to already know Grandpa's fate, yet he knows Melissa did it and that it was already done! How could he know, unless..._oh_, _my God_! Double whammy!" He pumped his arms and legs as hard as he could in a straight beeline towards the Shrine. '_Rubeus, I know what you're going to try! This is low, even for you!'_

**-xXXXXx-**

_'C'mon, Raye_,' Rubeus thought as he continued to eat the punches that Melissa was throwing at him. '_You sure do know how to be late like Serena!_'

"At least now the blood is on you, too, you son of a bitch!" Melissa growled.

Rubeus finally was able to shove Melissa off of him and jump to his feet. He quickly put a hand to his face to find out that she had not only opened up his scar once more, but when he saw his hand afterwards, he found smears of the dried blood from a beaten man. His fresh blood mixed with the dried was enough to make him snicker. "You idiot! Now she'll think you and I were a team. You're just hurting yourself more!" He charged with a punch, but she spun around and kicked him as he closed in on her. The spin kick sent him back outside the Shrine and on his back.

Melissa snarled at him as he slowly returned to a vertical base. "I don't think she would be that stupid to believe such a broken story."

"You don't think, Queen Bitch?" Rubeus laughed. "How immature you really are! You really think she's gonna..."

He was interrupted by Drillbit reappearing beside him suddenly. He began speaking immediately after materializing. "Rubeus, major problem! Raye still doesn't know, but someone else might!"

"Who? I thought I told you to go stop the others!"

"We're underestimating _him_!_"_

"Who are you...oh, _shit_!" Rubeus eyes widened. "Please tell me _he_ isn't in the dome!"

"He is, and he's on his way!"

"I was told that about Raye, too, but she isn't here yet!"

While Melissa was attempting to get all the information she could from the two talking amongst themselves, Grandpa was beginning to get back to his feet. He was using the wall to do so, but he was soon able to return to his vertical stance and walk out to the porch, trying to wipe off the blood that was still coming out of his cuts.

"Gramps?"

"I'm not dead yet," he answered Melissa. "They're gonna wish that I _was_ dead!" He began charging towards Rubeus and Drillbit with a loud cry.

"Gramps, _no_!" Melissa pleaded, but it was no use. He ducked under Drillbit's heavy swipe of the wrench and attacked Rubeus, punching him in the stomach twice. Drillbit turned on his heel and attempted to swipe again, only to have Melissa fire a lightning beam at him. It made him hold his wrist in pain, though he turned to Melissa and fired his nail gun. She rolled forward while ducking underneath the firestorm of nails hitting the Shrine walls. She fired another set of lightning beams at his legs, which were able to get him to cease firing and drop to one knee. She returned to her feet and ran towards him, picking him up by his throat. She punched him in the face, followed by an elbow that knocked him onto his back.

Grandpa was still fighting Rubeus, trying to uppercut him. However, as he tried, Rubeus struck him one more time with the Hizrounswa Gun, and he went down onto his back. Rubeus grinned as he walked to the fallen body, turning the Gun up to full strength.

"All right, old man, you think you can even compete with me? You're not in the same league as I am!" As Rubeus pointed the gun right at Grandpa, no one noticed that Chad had begun to regain consciousness, even though he found it difficult to move. He peered at the unfolding situation in front of him as Rubeus continued, "Now there are no more distractions, and no more chances for you to escape. All it will take is one shot of this at level six to kill you. Then, I can just sit and watch as Raye does the hard work for me." Chad fought to even move one muscle, but could not as he saw Rubeus begin to pull the trigger. "Time to die!"

However, the second before he actually pulled it, Melissa jumped in between the two and grabbed the barrel of the gun. "You're gonna have to kill me first!"

"Get out of the way, Queen Bitch! You should just accept it! No one likes you on Earth! Why do you continue to fight? These people have betrayed you!"

Melissa had her finger behind the trigger, preventing Rubeus from firing the gun. "No, Rubeus! I was the one who betrayed them! I would rather die than be put into that same situation again! Kill me if you must, but I am not going to let you harm him or anyone else! She does not control me anymore!"

As Melissa continued to fight off Rubeus and Chad watched without any way to help her, Raye had finished her trek up the steps and saw the struggle unfold. '_Rubeus is...trying to shoot Grandpa! And Melissa's...stopping him? Do they know I'm here?_' As much as she knew she should've ran to help her grandfather, she froze stiff as she could only watch Melissa battle Rubeus.

"That's a bunch of shit and you know it, Melissa! I saw how much Raye despises you and blames you for everything! She's going to see it firsthand how much of a murderer you really are!" Rubeus chuckled. "Get it? First _hand_!"

"All of this just to get me back, Rubeus? I thought you hated my guts, too!"

"I do! It's just not my decision, just as you told your generals it wasn't your decision to do the things you've done, either. Though don't worry, it'll all be explained soon."

Chad saw Raye come up the steps and stop dead at the top. '_Raye, what are you waiting for? Do something about them!_'

However, someone else saw her just as Rubeus shifted a bit to the right: a recovering Drillbit. "Rubeus, it's too late!"

"No it isn't," Rubeus snarled. "It won't be too long now before the old man kicks the bucket, and Queen Bitch will..."

"But she's right behind you, Rubeus!"

Rubeus' struggle turned into shock as he looked over his shoulder. He saw Raye standing limp in disbelief, but only for a moment as the distraction allowed Melissa to deliver a hard elbow to his face. It made him fly backwards slightly, but it also made him lose his gun. Melissa now held it in her own hand, and once Rubeus looked over to see Melissa handle it, he grinned. "So, Melissa, now the choice is clear. She is right here, and you know what you really want to do. You want to fire it at her, or maybe at the old man! Either way, your true self will..."

"Shut the hell up, Rubeus!" Melissa growled as she pointed the gun straight at him, finger on the trigger as her hand trembled. "I wonder! You have magic within yourself! The Hizrounswa might be able to just kill you in the same way it can kill her or me!"

"You don't even know how to handle the damn thing, Melissa!"

'_Beryl?'_ Raye thought, still frozen with Rubeus at her feet. '_I don't know if I can even believe my own eyes anymore._'

"Then how would I know how to kill Raye or Gramps if I don't know how to handle it? I would have to touch the crystal to have its knowledge go into my brain, and I'm not touching it now! Neither would I want to! I'm not giving this cursed thing back to you! If someone is going to kill you, it might as well be me! I have a lot of sins to answer for! One more won't hurt me, especially when it's you!"

"Trust me, Melissa, you know damn well what you really want to do with that thing. Go ahead! Follow your wishes! You've already done so! The blood on your hands proves it!"

Raye stared a hole into Melissa's hand, seeing the blood on it. She also caught the blood that had come out of her grandfather's wound. '_No, Melissa! Did you seriously...?_'

"Rubeus, you forgot something," Melissa began to growl, "we have all done evil deeds. Even good people do them at some point in their lives, especially when they never think they are. I, for one, thought I was doing the right thing on that 'Day of Revenge'. We all did! Thing is, you think that just because we've done evil deeds, that it makes us incapable of having second thoughts, or having regrets along the way. You're fooling yourself if you really think that! Yes, I am pointing a gun at you now, and yes, I am using every ounce of being I have to not pull the trigger and to give you one final chance to escape before I make you implode into nothingness. But there is something different about this time. It's the reason. I would've done this for myself, and some selfish deed of wanting a lot of power, and a lot of torment to be had on those who done me wrong.

"But now, it's different. I'm doing this because you've hurt someone who's shown me more in a day than anyone has ever done in a lifetime. You've hurt the girl who has shown me how _human_ I really am, and that I'm not just some empty soul waiting for someone to kill me. You've hurt the generals who put their faith in me more times than I deserved to have it, and to help me at least try to cross the bridges I burned. For the first time in my life, I'm happy. About my new life, and about my new friends. Does she trust me? I don't know, but if she doesn't then that's something I'll have to work on. His blood is indeed on my hand, but she has no clue how it got there. It's all perception. By the way, blood is also on this gun I point at you now, in a spot I have yet to grab. Who would she believe more? Someone who is finally able to say that she enjoys living, or someone who has done nothing but torment the very people I now swear on my soul to protect? She may not trust me, but she trusts you even _less_!"

As she was talking, Drillbit was returning to his feet. Even though Chad saw him get back up, he could not do anything fast enough. The Youma changed his arm into the wrench as she finished her speech. "Or maybe you should've just shut up and finished it!" He clubbed Melissa in the back of the neck with the wrench. She lost the grip on the Hizrounswa gun, and Rubeus took advantage of the situation by rolling to where the gun was to land and grab it out of the air.

"Well now, Melissa," Rubeus grinned as he changed targets rapidly with his gun, "I can see you're all talk and no bite now. You really believe all of that after what happened here tonight?"

As he pointed the gun at Raye, she saw that the barrel of the gun, at the tip—and consequently a spot where she knew Melissa had never touched—was splattered in blood. The sight made her gasp. '_No! She's right! But there is blood on her hand. Did you both do something to him? Or, is she...telling the truth? I don't know who to believe anymore!_'

Rubeus smirked as he saw Raye continued to be dazed. "You should've seen her, Raye! She was all gung-ho on that poor man! I was very surprised that the legend herself was showing through! And to think that she is one of the best liars in the world. Happy? In this dump? I think she was just angry that he owned her the first time they crossed paths."

Raye's eyes narrowed as she continued to stare at the blood on the gun's barrel. "She's correct on one thing. I may not trust her as much as anyone else, but I trust her _far_ more than I trust you!"

"Suit yourself! You're just lying to yourself!"

Raye grabbed her Mars pen from inside her pocket and held it up. However, as she was doing so, Rubeus pointed the gun right at her. He fumbled with the level changer, and fired a direct hit.

However, it was on the wrong person. Melissa saw it and tackled Raye just as the bullet was to hit. It instead collided with her rib as she took Raye to the ground with her.

"Woah!" Rubeus exclaimed. "That was," he looked at the changer, "level five. Melissa was just hit with the second highest level there is."

Raye felt as though she was held down by dead weight, and as she looked at the body that had now laid on top of her, she could sense that such wasn't that far from the truth. The woman who had pushed her down was not moving. At all.

"Oh my God," Raye whispered. "Melissa, did you really...? Level five? You...didn't...!"

"Melissa, please," Grandpa cried, "just move!"

"Shouldn't her body burn up?" Rubeus asked. "First time I've seen anyone be hit with a blast higher than four."

"_'Rubeus,'_" he heard Metaria say within his mind, "_'although the Hizrounswa kills people differently, it's the same as any other weapon. It's a clean kill. There's no visual combustion.'_"

"Are you watching this? Is she really...?"

"_'I do not sense any vital signs that I recognize there. I would be able to sense Melissa's immediately if she was there...or if she was alive.'_"

"This wasn't my fault! She just...!"

"_'If she really has, then we will need to move on to phase two in a different fashion.'_"

However, just as Rubeus was beginning to respond, he saw a faint sign of movement come out of Melissa's right arm. "Holy shit! You've got to be kidding me!"

The arm began to act as a support as the other arm began doing the same.

"Melissa?" Grandpa gasped.

"How in the hell can this be?" Drillbit asked. "She truly is evil if she could survive such a shot."

"No! I! Am! Not!" Melissa growled, albeit weakly, as she struggled to return to her feet. "Shoot me again, Rubeus! This world has no...use for me! She does not! You...do not!"

As she continued to struggle, and as everyone else was only frozen in shock, Casto reached the top of the steps. He saw Melissa's fight to just move, though he immediately tended to Raye while eying the former queen. "Raye, are you all right?"

"Yes, I think so, but she was just hit by what Rubeus called the level five shot!"

"And she's...? But how...?"

"She pushed me out of the way. He was trying to hit me, but...God, Casto...I don't know what to think anymore!"

"C'mon, Rubeus," Melissa continued as she staggered towards him, "I know you would...rather kill me than to...take me back. This _is_ the _real_...reason why you're...ugh...trying to make me...a scapegoat, is it? To...make me want to...return to...the Dark Kingdom?"

"I came here just as you were punching him..."

"_"Rubeus, Drillbit was right,'_" Metaria said, interrupting Rubeus. "_'The plan's failed. They know what happened here, so there's no more use in trying to convince them. Even more, we have another problem. If you're going to make a move, do it now!'_"

'_Must've been Casto who found out,_' Rubeus smirked at Melissa. "Look at you, Melissa! How pathetic you are, especially when you know you loved every minute of what happened here."

"Get the hell away...from here!" Melissa weakly roared. "I'm not afraid to die to kill you! I will...use my power!"

'_She's still standing, though. My instincts were right: this idea is always going to end in failure as long as..._' "Drillbit! Come back with me! There's something I have to discuss with Metaria!" He disappeared.

"But Rubeus, we have them..." Drillbit began as he saw Rubeus vanish. He snorted loudly. "I need a damn vacation!"

**-xXXXXx-**_  
_

Mini Moon and Sailor Moon stood at the corner of what would've normally been a busy intersection. That is, if it weren't for the curved dome of electricity that was before them, Tuxedo Mask, and the rest of the Sailors who were behind them.

"Déjà vu, all over again," Mercury proclaimed. "It's very similar to what we experienced with Hammerthor. Some shield is blocking anything from going in or out."

"You don't think Rubeus revived him, do you?" Luna asked.

"No," Mask answered. "Unless he added a different element to Hammerthor, he probably just gave another Youma their own version of the shield. I wonder if he can give any Youma he chooses the dome shield."

"Whatever it is," Jupiter said, "we need to get in there before something happens to our friends inside!"

"Reenie," Venus said, "that attack you used on Hammerthor's shield. Will it work on this?"

"Hmm," she hummed. "I do believe it will."

"Yes, it _definitely _will," Mercury confirmed with her Merceye. "It's the same type of shield. The _exact_ same type. Just a different element making it, as Darien said."

"Then this should not take very long at all." Reenie smirked as she jumped back slightly and reached for her Moon Wand. "P-"

Just as she began to call for her attack, however, the dome dissipated into nothingness, as if it was never there.

Reenie smiled with her hands on her hips. "See! What did I tell you? You never saw me even do anything, I was so quick!"

"That was," Venus began, "really weird."

"C'mon," Artemis ordered, "I have a bad feeling about whatever happened!"

"Me, too," Mask agreed. The Sailors hurried towards the Shrine.

**-xXXXXx-**

Drillbit had disappeared shortly after his vacation request, leaving Raye in shock, Casto in disbelief, Chad still trying to get to his feet, and Melissa looking dead at where Rubeus once was.

However, Casto looked over to see Melissa use a tree to catch herself from falling. Her other limp arm was enough to make fear tingle within him slightly.

"Melissa," he yelled as he rose up and ran over to her, "what happened? Are you okay?"

Raye also stood back up. "She took a direct level five shot from Rubeus! I didn't believe she would save me at all, much less put herself in that kind of danger. I came here thinking that she was trying to kill Grandpa."

"That's what he wanted you to think, Raye," Casto answered. "Drillbit blew the whole crooked plan to me, in a way. He was too eager to brag about how bad things were going to be once you saw something that had yet to even happen."

"He smacked him with the gun," Melissa added, slowly regaining her strength. "I was tending to him, and blood got onto the hand I was supporting his head with. I bet he had everything carefully planned out to make sure you thought I did it."

"But why would he...?" Raye began. That was when, however, she began remembering what she and her friends had said some days ago.

'_I know Serena's family has been targeted, but that doesn't mean he can't do anything to any of ours._'

'_Rubeus has a way of getting to all of us. He isn't stupid, I know that._'

'_She's destroyed thousands of lives with her actions. She's destroyed homes and relationships. She constantly lies; so much so that she can do it naturally. She's not welcome here!_'

"Raye?" Casto asked. "What's the matter? You look like you've just seen a gho—Melissa, where are you going?"

Melissa had begun to walk gingerly down the Shrine steps, braving every step as if it could be her last. "I'm not welcome here, Casto. Raye, I'm sorry. I'll be going now. I didn't know about the ban, or else I would've honored it. Thank you, Gramps!"

Raye looked over towards the woman who had turned the corner before she could make any other reaction.

"Melissa, you're not..." Grandpa began.

"She's already gone," Raye said as she tended to the old man.

"She was telling the truth, too," Chad said as he finally was able to stand and walk over to Raye. "They thought I was unconscious the entire time. It was definitely that man who did it, not her. She was the one who saved his life. I don't think I've even seen either of you that determined to protect the Shrine, and I know how much and how able you are to protect it. It was scary to see it, but in a good way."

"He isn't losing any more blood, thank God," Raye pointed out. "But he was cut pretty good. He's going to need some bandages."

"Casto!" they heard Sailor Moon call out as they saw the Sailors run up the steps, though seeing none of their enemies. "What happened?"

"We saw that force field," Mercury said, "but it disappeared just as Mini Moon was about to try to shoot a hole through it."

"Just when Rubeus and Drillbit..." Raye began.

"What are you talking about?" Venus asked.

Raye stood up and looked at Chad. "Can you watch after my grandpa for me?"

"Sure, babe! But what gives?"

She let out a heavy sigh and looked towards the full moon. "It's nothing. I just don't feel too well right now!" She cut through the sea of Sailors and walked down the steps.

"Raye," Serena cried out. "What's wrong?"

She began to run after her when Casto caught her. "Sis! Let's just leave her be for now!"

"But she's my friend! I can't stand seeing her..."

"Neither can I, but I think I know why she doesn't feel well."

"Why?"

**-xXXXXx-**

_"_Metaria," Rubeus growled as he stood before the orange egg entity, "I need to speak to you about something."

"Go ahead! I need to know why you suddenly abandoned the Shrine like you did. I trust you, but I also am unsure if that was the right decision."

"Actually, there is something about the plan we're attempting that may make it as much of a failure as I think they are."

"A..._failure_? Rubeus, you know I don't like that word!"

"Hear me out!"

Bubbles came up within the edifice. "Okay, Rubeus. But I have to admit: I'm not too happy with these circumstances."

"Neither am I, but we're trying it the wrong way. We're attempting to reacquire Queen Beryl under the pretense that we can play on the Sailors' distrust of her, but it hasn't been working."

"And that was the emergency situation that has me worried: I know Casto trusts her now!"

Rubeus groaned. "Big surprise there!"

"But it's not a good one. The Sailors like Casto, and he seems to be one of the main pieces that keep the Sailors together. No one's fought with him yet, and he's been the calm and collected person in each fight. He seems to pick up on things a lot faster than we give him credit for. He might need to be dealt with soon, but that is what makes me believe we have a sudden sense of urgency here. We have to make the Sailors distrust Beryl _now_, because if Casto trusts her, that will send a signal to the others that it will be okay for them to trust her."

"Which is the reason why I think we need a new plan in the first place."

"New plan?"

"We're trying to frame Beryl for Reenie's would've-been death, and for the old man's would've-been death, when we can only predict our own behavior. We're forgetting about what the Sailors will do to respond. We cannot possibly predict how they will, and it has always been in ways we've yet to consider."

"Yes, I can see where you're getting at. We didn't expect Avery to play a role at the school. There was nothing we could've done to see that coming."

"And then tonight, we didn't know that the Shrine was that important to Beryl to protect. Nor did I expect Beryl to disregard her own wellbeing to protect it."

"Or for Raye to take as long as she did, or to show up at that exact moment that she did. Yes, I can see what you're saying now. As long as we can't control their exact movements, timing, and who is exactly at a given place at a given time, we will never be able to fully put our plan into action without risk of it failing because of something we cannot see coming. But we have no way of being able to predict or control anyone else's emotions or actions."

"This is why I think we need a more direct approach towards our goal. One that might be easier, and one that will still give us the desired result. Actually, maybe it will be a_ better_ result."

"Rubeus, you know how to shut me up with your words. Maybe my anger was premature. Please, inform me of your plan!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Melissa was back in her loft, staring at the same ceiling tile pattern she was studying the night before. However, she was in a lot more pain than before, and she felt as if she was experiencing a severe heartburn that filled her entire body. She tried and tried to ignore it, and besides the grimacing, she was succeeding. She eyed the clock. It was midnight. Was a little later than she would've liked it to have been, even though the Sunday that had begun right now was one she had off. She was going to thank Andrew for being good to her about that next time she saw him.

She was close to falling asleep when she heard a faint knock at the door. Perhaps this was Serena wanting to talk to her again. She did sense that she was being watched by the Moon Princess, and she felt nothing but sadness from her friend. Or maybe it was Avery wanting to make sure that everything was all right from what had happened on Friday at the school.

As much as she loved them, she really needed the sleep. Not to mention that she really did not feel like moving right now. However, a few seconds later, she rose to her feet and proceeded to the door. She took a sigh—to try not to yell at one of her friends—and opened the door.

"Raye?" Melissa asked with a gasp as she saw the Shinto priestess standing in front of her. "What are you doing here? How did you even know where I..."

"Melissa, please," Raye said, slowly stopping her with her hand, "just, listen to me for a moment."

"If this is about me going to the Shrine when I was..."

"Shhh!" Raye closed her eyes. "I wanted to...thank you for saving my life tonight. That and if you hadn't been there when you were, he would've killed him. I care so much for him. He's the only blood family I have left that I care about."

"But I know you don't trust me. Which is okay. I'm not trying to force it."

"Listen, Melissa. It's...not because of you. I know you're doing all you can, and that Serena, Casto, and Grandpa are very important to you, and I know I've been a bitch about and towards you. But it's...well, it's so tough for me to trust _anyone_. I don't let people into my life easily. Casto is Serena's brother, which is the reason why I developed trust for him so quickly. But something happened in my life that made me that way. Someone I thought I could trust in my own family stabbed me in the back and never showed any remorse for it, even to this day. I've yet to see him again, and I've yet to forgive him. I don't ever want to be hurt like that again."

"So you push people away. I know how that feels to just not want anyone to enter your life."

"That, with knowing of our past with the Dark Kingdom..."

Melissa turned away. "Raye, I'm not proud of what I did. Hell, I can't even forgive _myself_. I hope no one ever has to live with the guilt I do, or the pain I've endured. For the longest time, I felt as if the entire world stabbed me in the back, and kept stabbing me once I fell face first to the ground." She turned back around and looked straight into Raye's eyes. "Everyone has regrets, and everyone is capable of the same evil I inflicted on everyone. But Raye, not everything is black and white. I thought I was evil, when I saw that I wasn't even close compared to who I was serving, and who I thought I could trust."

"Casto told me there is nothing you can do to change the past, and that I should instead look at what you've done lately. Maybe I'm asking you to change the past for me to be able to trust you."

"If you still don't want to trust me, you don't have to."

"Melissa, I do want to. It's just that right now, I'm having a hard time doing so with how many walls I've put up. It took me so long to trust Serena, even, and she is an angel, or at least I believe she is. But listen, though I can't make any guarantees about trusting you, I do believe you."

"Huh?"

"I believe that you won't want to go and serve Metaria and Rubeus again, or that you have any ulterior motives. I also believe that you're sincere about your actions and your words."

"I'm scared that they are trying to lure me back, though. I'm scared because I don't know why!" She put a hand on Raye's shoulder. "Which is why I need people like you! I don't want to go back, but if they get control of me again, and I know they will try, I need strong people to keep me from submitting."

"I'm having a tough time figuring Serena out anymore with her sudden temper flare-ups, so I don't know if I can guarantee that, either. But I'll try."

"Thank you. Though I would be lying if I said I didn't want your trust at some point."

"What you did tonight, saving me and Grandpa, was a step in the right direction. You didn't have to do that, especially for me. I also wanted to make sure you're okay from that shot you took..."

"If only you knew the pain I've been feeling all night. My entire body feels like a damn furnace, but I'm still alive. That's all that matters to me. As long as you're safe."

"Well, thank you. Oh, and one more thing. About that ban...there...was no ban. It was just me being myself. If you want to take those classes, then you're more than welcome to."

"I wouldn't mind having another session with him. He showed me so much. Some of it scared the living shit out of me, but it's something I had to see."

"I think Serena needs that, as well. Would show her what's causing her sudden outbursts at the worst times. And I was always thinking that the Silver Crystal was supposed to protect her against things like that. I've never known her for having a short fuse or being so violent."

"Her family was assaulted by Rubeus, and he continues to terrorize her whenever he can without any regard for anyone. I don't blame her for becoming a basket case."

"But even then, as powerful as that crystal is, it should react to something like that. It should be able to keep her from acting out. It's supposed to be one of, if not, the most powerful crystals in the world. Well, anyway, I have to get home and to bed. Got a long day tomorrow. By the way, Serena told me where you lived. I hope you won't be mad at her for telling me."

"No, not in the slightest. I'm glad you came to at least let me know what was going on."

"And she also told me to tell you to not worry about meeting Casto. That teacher is going to be relieved of his duties on Monday. Miss Haruna was released from the hospital today."

Melissa's eyes widened and a huge smile escaped her. "You just made my day! Patrica is going to be all right!"

Raye yawned loudly. "Damn, I may not be able to even get home before collapsing. Thanks for listening to me. I hope I can trust you. If I can defeat my own demons, maybe it'll be easier."

"It takes time, trust me."

"Catch you tomorrow!" Raye made her way to the steps as Melissa nodded with a smile before closing and locking the door. As she stood right on top of the steps, Raye sighed lightly. "You did make me this way, didn't you, father? I don't know if I could ever be able to trust her, and it's because of you. One thing about her: I don't hate her. But one thing is for damn sure. I hate _you_, father!"

Meanwhile, Melissa let her body collapse against the door before looking up at the ceiling. "Thank you, Raye. Maybe it wasn't such a lost cause to try, after all. I just hope I can get you to know how much you can trust me. I..." Her eyes suddenly shot open. "Wait a minute."

'_It's supposed to be one of, if not, the most powerful crystals in the world,_' she heard Raye's voice inside her head recall.

"But if the Hizrounswa is able to shatter it, then that would mean that it isn't as powerful anymore."

She also recalled what Prisma told her a few nights ago. '_I wonder if that could've been a reason now why the Silver Crystal cleansed us. Maybe because of the Hizrounswa reacting to the clean sweep it did and getting some with those who were half pure._'

**-xXXXXx-**

A knock was heard from behind a loft door. Catsy walked up to the door and opened it, seeing Melissa standing there.

"Melissa?" Catsy asked.

"Cat, we need to talk!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Patrica Haruna got out of her taxi, paid and tipped the driver, and proceeded to her town house. Her car was still in the driveway, and even though she didn't really like the taxis, she would've rather paid for one than to have to ride in an ambulance.

She walked halfway down the sidewalk leading to the front door when she stopped and looked to the grass on the left side. She could still see the blood on the ground, and was surprised that it had still to be washed away. She remembered the last moments she had spent trying to plead with Rubeus to stop harming her. She could feel every punch once more, as if it was all happening again. So much so that she was suddenly reawakened from her daydream by a sudden rush of pain from her ribs. She clenched them, and hoped that it subsided quickly. It took about ten seconds, but it finally went away.

She huffed at the sight of the blood on the sidewalk for a few moments before fumbling with her keys to open the door to her house. This time, even though she made sure no one was around, she was able to make her way into the house and lock the door. Even though she frowned at the shattered window, she knew it was necessary, and that she could have it fixed in no time.

As she slipped off her shoes at the door, she reached for the phone—trying to ignore the sight of blood that was on the carpet—and sat down on the couch. It was a couch she had missed dearly, she found out. She folded her legs beneath her and searched through her stored contacts. She found who she was looking for and hit dial.

The phone rang a few times before she heard someone pick up. "Hello?" a raspy voice asked.

"Principal Toko Demitri?"

The voice gasped on the other end. "Patrica? Is that you?"

"Yes, Toko. I'm still alive."

"How wonderful to hear your voice again. It was sorely missed."

"I've heard about what's been going on over there since I've been gone. I bet I've been."

"How are you holding up?"

Patrica unfolded her legs and leaned back. "They wanted to keep me there longer, but I urged them to let me go so I can return. They taped up my ribs, and they hurt me every now and then, but I'll live. I told them that as long as I can breathe, I can live. I don't want to be there any longer than I have to."

"Well," Toko said, "I'm glad to hear you're going to be okay. I know you'll heal up quickly. You've always been a brave soul. Sometimes foolish, but sometimes you have to be foolish to do what's right."

"Yeah! I needed to talk to you about returning as well."

"Hmm?"

"No one could contact the School Authority tonight. I thought they usually had someone taking calls or some voice mail or something. I didn't know they had to cut back, but I needed to talk to someone that I knew could work though the necessities to have me return as soon as possible."

"I see."

"Not just because I want to get back to teaching, but because I don't want Harold teaching my class anymore. It's _my_ class, and he isn't going to be a dictator in a class I care so much for. The sooner I come back, the sooner he goes away."

Toko sighed. "Actually, Patrica, that's something I've needed to talk to you about, and I'm glad you called, so we can discuss this now."

Patrica narrowed her eyes as she leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

"There is something about Mister Koa you need to know."

"If he laid one _finger_ on any of those kids..."

"I can't say he did yet. I hope I'm correct in that assumption, and will continue to be."

"Well, what is this thing you have to talk to me about?"

She heard another heavy sigh from Toko. "Patrica, when you were injured, the School Authority saw that as an opportunity."

"To do what?"

The sighs were coming before nearly every response now. "Harold didn't come here as a substitute!"

"What do you...?"

"He came here as a replacement!"

Haruna shot up to her feet and screamed, "_What_?"

"The School Authority saw it as an opportunity to make their move, and they told me this while you were in the hospital. I thought he was just a sub like you thought he was, but they informed me to tell you when you got back."

"Replacement?"

"Patrica, they don't think you're cut out to be a teacher anymore."

"Those clowns know I'm more than cut out for the job. I went to America for seven years to study the English language. How can they say I'm not cut out?"

"They don't think you have the discipline necessary to make decisions on delinquent students. They cited the sudden leniency with Serena as one of the final straws."

"What? Everyone knows she's improving. I'm so proud of her for liking school again, and if it wasn't for her and her brother, I would not be talking to you right now. How could they be so prejudiced?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter now. I've already went over this with them when they called me and told me of their decision. They are not budging, and they even threatened me if I argued the case. They are that set on making this move. And Mister Koa is staying permanently because of this decision."

Haruna collapsed onto her couch, ignoring another sharp pain that had hit her yet again. "What decision?"

"They are asking for your resignation so they don't have to pay the rest of your benefits out, but if it doesn't come within the week, they will have no other choice but to do so."

"You mean they're going to actually...?"

"Yes, Miss Haruna, and there's nothing I can do about it, I'm afraid. I do believe you're getting fired."

* * *

Hope you liked it, and a big thank you for youroctober for all the beta help. Stay tuned for the next chapter soon.

Good night and good luck.


	12. November Rain

WAR GAMES  
CHAPTER 12  
November Rain

Written by Darkpower  
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)

NOTE: A warning about this particular chapter. It's more dreary in story than the other ones, and a few violent scenes are in it. I didn't call it November Rain for nothing, mind you (think of the Guns N' Roses song of the same name and you'll understand why I called it that).

* * *

Rubeus had been talking with the Metaria egg for some time now, and it didn't seem like he could stop. Even though he knew he failed the last two plans—which he admitted—he had also thought he knew why he failed.

"We need a plan that will take human behavior out of the equation," he told the bubbly egg. "Until we do that, we will never be able to recapture Beryl's soul like you want."

"I can see that now. But until we get such a plan in place, we have to continue playing on the Sailors distrust of Beryl, and now that Casto trusts her, it's only a matter of time before they all follow his lead."

Rubeus put a hand on his chin. "Hard to believe that loser actually won them over in the short amount of time that he did. It's almost as if he's brainwashed them or something. Do you remember a brother of the Moon Princess?"

"I don't recall seeing one, but...wait a minute, yes. There might have been some talk about some person fleeing the kingdom who was of extreme importance. That may have been him, but I cannot say for certain. I'll try to find out some more about him. Why didn't you have those questions before?"

"Didn't really think they were that important at the time, nor did it really matter to me before. You talking about him, though, as if he's their savior, makes me wonder what there is about him that makes them like him so much."

"He's calm under pressure and can think rationally even when infused with the same anger that Serena has been exemplifying recently."

"In any case," Rubeus retorted, "that only tells me that we need a new plan. And I think I have it in mind. We know Beryl wants to protect Reenie for some reason."

"It's because she was reminded about something from her past when she heard you attacked her. I had the hardest time trying to get her to follow through with the plan to extract the doll maker's energy. Even though I wasn't awake physically, I was still infused in her mind mentally, and I fought her will to keep her on the right track. As you can see, I had a few issues with her even then, though it was when she heard of Reenie that I started to lose complete control of her."

"Now you make me feel as though it was my fault."

"No, Rubeus, it is not. Remember, behaviors of others are not as easy to predict as it may seem, as you just said. Don't worry. I do not blame you for that. It was other things in addition, and there was no way you could've seen that coming."

"But what if we could persuade a feeling out of her? Perhaps we can make her think that she cannot protect her."

"Hmm," Metaria hummed. "How do we do that?"

"That's where my direct approach comes in. Instead of trying to frame Beryl for the death of Reenie, we just let people know it was us. That way, we would solidify our position and let everyone know who we are."

"That just sounds like killing for sport."

"But there is another element to this. We need to have Beryl there to witness us killing her, and have her try her damnest to save her. But she will be hampered by one of our Youmas. She'll feel as if she's a failure, and will be easy pickings from then on."

"Remember about the Sailors, though. They aren't going to just sit there and let you kill her."

"Hmm. I wonder..."

Rubeus was interrupted by a loud sound behind him. When he looked over, he saw Drillbit walk up beside him. "Rubeus, I think I may be of some assistance."

"D-Drillbit?" Metaria asked. "Youmas don't ever come to this room."

"I apologize, m'lady." He bowed. "Am I restricted from coming here?"

"I never said anything about it. Why do you come here in the first place?"

"It's about some of the Youmas. I've been thinking that maybe it's time they roam free in the kingdom. Since the person holding them in that cell isn't here anymore, we can stretch our legs, so to speak."

"It would be helpful," Rubeus added. "Perhaps boost morale, in a way."

"Don't know if that would be wise," Metaria answered, "but you have a point in them being too confined in that holding room."

"One in particular is Pandora. She's been restless for a while, and she told me that she wants revenge on Beryl for some reason. She didn't tell me what for, but something has been eating away at her."

"Pandora? You mean the sixth DD Girl?"

"Sixth?" Rubeus gasped.

"She only used five, but there were six altogether. The sixth one, if deployed, would've battled Sailor Moon on the day we got sealed into that hole."

"Pandora is calling that day the 'Day of Destiny'," Drillbit continued.

"What does she want revenge for, though?"

"She thinks that it was Beryl who sent her sisters to die. I told her such is what happens on the battlefield, but she is not going to listen to me."

"Actually," Rubeus interrupted, "that could work out really well. Drillbit could distract the Sailors, while Pandora extracts her revenge long enough to keep Beryl busy so that I can finish Reenie off."

"It might work, but you have to make sure Reenie is going to be where you will be, Rubeus," Metaria answered.

"Don't worry about that! I got just the idea, though it will have to wait for a day. We put our plan into effect tomorrow!" Rubeus disappeared.

"Drillbit!"

"Metaria?" Drillbit answered his queen.

"Make sure Pandora is true to her word. Something doesn't seem right about that. Never has a Youma that cared that much for any other life, even for the DD Girls."

"Beryl called them the Doom and Gloom Girls because of how they put their emotions aside. They didn't care if the other died or not, as long as the job was done."

"But Pandora...I don't know. Do what Rubeus asked you to do, but be prepared to assist Rubeus if need be. And inform Rubeus of my doubts. All the Youma hated Beryl, but only she had different reasons."

"Especially me, Metaria! All I have to say to that is..._Praise Metaria_!"

**-xXXXXx-**

"Toko," Patrica pleaded with the man on the other end of the phone conversation, halfway in tears, "teaching is my life. It's in my blood."

"I know how frustrating and disheartening this news is, and I wish it didn't have to be. But again, I told them everything you are telling me right now. They are standing by their decision."

"They sicken me," she growled, feeling herself tighten her grip on the receiver. "I know they have been trying to keep us from having any power left, but to just fire someone because they have a prejudice about a student?"

"I've looked at Serena's grades. They were improving, but it went from As and Bs to straight Fs in literally a day."

"Harold," she fumed. "How could you?"

"The week will be for you to gather your things from your room. Anything after that week will be confiscated and considered their property."

"They're not even waiting for me to deliver it?"

She heard a deep sigh. "I know. I wish there was better news."

"There has to be something I could do, Toko. Maybe file an appeal and plead my case."

"Trust me, I've already gone through some of this with some of the highest ups on the committee. There are a few people on it that are so adamant about wanting you gone that they said they would even deny hearing your appeal. In other words, Patrica, it's over. There's nothing more you or I can do."

Patrica could not talk any more, as she had to breathe heavily for her sobs to escape her. "This is all I have, Toko. This is all I know how to do, and if I don't have this, I don't have any other source of income I can fall back on, and if I lose this house, I don't have anywhere to go. I have to fight it somehow, even if that means taking a bullhorn with me."

"Worst thing about it is that Harold was the one to go to the School Authority and ask them for a permanent job at the school. He's wanted one for some time, I'm afraid. The opening was there, and he asked them for your spot."

"Please don't tell me he..." She was interrupted as she fell off the couch, her knees skidding a bit on the carpet. She dropped the receiver as she gripped her ribs again. The pain was strong, as if Rubeus had punched her once more. Maybe even two times. It wasn't residing, either.

"'_While there is no reason to be worried, if they continue for more than about thirty seconds, call me and make sure you don't need to be readmitted.'_"

Patrica continued to hear Toko's voice asking what was wrong through the phone as she was hearing Doctor Mesta's words in her head. It was fifteen seconds now. Or was it twenty? Either way, it finally receded a few seconds after hearing Toko's raspy voice once more.

"Patrica?"

She slowly picked up the receiver again. "I'm fine, Toko."

"You sure? That had me worried just now. You shouldn't even be out of the hospital if you're doing that."

"It's nothing, Toko. I'll be all right."

"I can..."

"I said it's _nothing_!" she screamed. "I-I'm sorry! They said I would be experiencing pains every once in a while, and that they would be nothing to worry about. I think it's just frustrating me because I want to work through it."

"I apologize. This must be giving you stress. Maybe this is for the best, Patrica. In your state, it might be good if you let them win for now until we can find some way to get an investigation going into why they are blind to his tactics."

"I want my benefits. I'm not going to resign, Toko. That's all I have. If they want me gone, they are going to be giving me what I'm entitled to."

"I have a feeling it won't be that easy. They are looking to see if they don't have to give you that much if it comes to that. And to think they did all this while you were on your death bed."

"Look, Toko, just make sure Harold stays away from my students, okay? If he _ever_ harms them, I don't know what I would do."

"Like I said, he hasn't yet, and I'm trying to see if he knows any other subjects. I know how you feel about him, and I'll do my best, but the S.A. has had it in for you from the start, and I fear they are coming after me next. I can't make guarantees. I have to get to sleep, Patrica. I'm very sorry. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Patrica heard a click and then silence. She slowly pushed a button to hang up the phone, and nonchalantly tossed the phone on the end table by the couch.

"Serena," Patrica, "what am I going to do? I love you, all of you. I can't stand to not be able to see or hear your voices. If I can't teach...this house. I'm scared that I'm going to be kicked out soon, and I'll be..."

She felt pain once again. This time, however, she fought to her feet and began to stagger to the steps. She got to the first step when she collapsed again. The pain receded for a few seconds, enough time for her to run up the steps. Her heels touched the top step when she fell to her knees once more. This time, it was like a thousand Rubeuses pounding at her ribs constantly.

"No, go away, please! I can't be stressed now. I don't wanna go back there."

She couldn't even pay attention to the amount of time she was on the floor. She didn't really care as she attempted to crawl and scratch her way through the small hallway to the end door. The pain did not give at all as she pulled herself to her feet and was barely able to twist the handle open. Her full sized bed, covered in blue blankets, was at the center of the far wall, and that's what she was barely able to land on as she collapsed once more. It was more than thirty seconds. It was even more than a minute. But she flailed her legs violently and curled up with both arms clenching her ribs. She was in pain and in tears, and it took another full thirty seconds for the pain to finally end. As she stared at her white nightstand and the sliding door closet that was to the left of the bed, she could only let the tears fall onto the blankets.

**-xXXXXx-**

"Cat, we need to talk!"

Melissa Beryl stood right outside of the Four Sisters' apartment door. Though Catsy was half asleep in her dark blue pajamas, she smiled when seeing the familiar sight.

"Is something wrong?"

"There might be," Melissa answered.

"Here," Catsy said, moving out of the way, "come in. The other sisters are still asleep. I'm surprised you woke me."

Melissa went through the door and into a living room that now had the dimmest light available on: a small lamp that sat on the end table. Well, unless she counted a bright blue digital clock that was on the same table. "I have a suspicion it was the Hizrounswa that was responsible for what happened to you when she cleansed the world."

As Catsy closed the door, she hummed at Melissa's words. "We have that same suspicion, if you recall."

Melissa pivoted hard towards her friend. "But I'm all but certain that it was the Hizrounswa!"

"Here, Melissa, sit down." Melissa and Catsy both sat down on the couch as Catsy continued. "Now, what makes you so certain that it was the Hizrounswa's fault?"

"Raye came to my apartment tonight and told me that the Silver Crystal was the most powerful crystal in the world. But if it was, then how can the Hizrounswa be able to shatter it?"

"You don't know that, Melissa. It's legend."

"But it was also legend that the damn thing existed, Cat!" Melissa took a deep breath and looked towards her knees. "And if it could do such a thing, and it became uncovered by Metaria, then that could mean..."

Catsy gasped softly. "I think I get what you're saying. It could've changed our histories now that he has it."

"As much as that damn thing needs to be destroyed, I don't know if we could be able to without us doing anything to you four. If we end up destroying the Hizrounswa and doing something to it, it would alter the course of history, and since it would never react to Serena's cleansing, then..."

"We might never get caught, and it would exile us back to our own time."

"And if Rubeus has altered your time, what else about that time could he alter? What else could he change about your time?"

"I don't know. Now you have me worried. But listen, Melissa," Catsy said as she put a hand onto Melissa's shoulder, "he's got the Hizrounswa, but we're still here, so something has to be the same, right?"

"Because we didn't destroy it yet, and I don't want to be at fault for anything happening to you four."

"If it happens, it happens. I think we're all ready to accept it."

"No," Melissa growled. "I'm not about to just take that kind of talk."

"Melissa, there's nothing anyone can do to stop destiny."

"No!" Melissa yelled. "Catsy, I'm sorry, but I hate that word. For the whole two years after my parents died, I was told that it was my destiny to assume the role as queen of the North Pole Kingdom. I loved being queen after, but for those two years, I never heard the end of it. In fact, I heard that even before my parents' death, and it was the only thing I didn't want to know about."

"Destiny is something that is chosen..."

Melissa shot up like a bullet to her feet. "No, Catsy. It's not. That's what weak people always say, and I know you're not a weak person. The only one who can control your own destiny is you. I cannot accept anyone else telling me how I should live my life. I let something get to me and let it tell me how I should make my every move. I forgot everything that made me who I was."

"I'm sorry, Melissa. I know it must've been tough for you."

"I was at Raye's shrine earlier. I was having this meditation class with her grandfather. I saw a bunch of things in my dream, including myself. It was me embracing some corrupted thing, and that was all before it paralyzed me in the air and forced me to accept whatever that corruption was back into my life. It was a sickening feeling, and it scared me."

"Corruption," Catsy pondered. "Maybe that's what it is."

"Huh?" Melissa turned again, narrowing her eyes at Catsy.

"I think I've heard about that before. It's when someone is infused with any kind of evil in their heart. No one type of corruption is the same, and there are people that choose to be that way, while others cannot control it. In our case, I think it was us giving in to Rubeus, and that's what brought us to corruption."

"So you're saying..."

Catsy rose to her feet. "Don't be so sure that destroying the Hizrounswa would sacrifice us just yet. I know how you feel about me saying those things. I assure you, I don't want to have to think about what would happen if that time comes, or what we would do."

"If it were you just talking about destiny, I wouldn't have been so angry. I'm not about to let someone just sacrifice themselves, especially those I care about."

Catsy closed her eyes before she wrapped her arms around Melissa. "Don't worry, my friend. I'm not ready to leave yet."

Melissa sighed for a moment, and then returned the embrace. '_I need your support, too, Cat. I can't have you leave me._'

**-xXXXXx-**

"Is he walking all right?" Ikuko asked Reenie.

"Yeah. He was doing really good last night. You could hardly tell that something had happened to him. He's saying he wants to get back to school so he doesn't have his work backed up."

The morning had come, and Reenie seemed ecstatic at what she was saying.

"Glad to hear that...Sammy!" Ikuko saw him walking slowly down the steps, and made her way to the bottom. "Are you still...?"

"Mom," Sammy replied, "please don't!"

"I know you must..."

"Mom! I...I don't. At least not as much as did."

Ikuko shed a tear. "I'm sorry, though. You have no idea..."

"I know you're trying to make things right with me and you. I know you didn't mean to leave me there."

"Sammy," Reenie began, "do you still want to go to school tomorrow?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I think I can manage it."

"If you need anything, let me know, okay?'

"Sure, Reenie." He smiled. "You've been such a great help to me." He then looked to his mother. "And mom?"

"Hmm?" Ikuko asked.

"It's just been tough for me. I was so scared, and I felt so alone. I never thought I would ever know what that feels like until that night."

"Even if you hate everything about me, I will _always_ love you, and I would do anything to protect you. And I swear on my life that I will never let anyone hurt you like that again."

Sammy tried to fight off a smile, though it was too tough to do as a small one showed through. Ikuko answered by hugging him gently. Sammy let his arms hang loose for a moment, then slowly returned the embrace. Reenie looked on with glistening eyes.

'_Finally,_' Reenie thought, '_Sammy is showing some forgiveness. I didn't think he really hated her.'_

However, outside the house, Rubeus and Drillbit were beyond the brick barrier, listening in on the conversation via one of Drillbit's arm tools: a sound recorder that could pick up voices from afar.

"I didn't even know you had one of those," Rubeus said quietly.

"It's one of the new tools I got from the energy orb."

"Sammy is forgiving that witch, not knowing what we are about to do. This could turn out even better."

**-xXXXXx-**

Later in the day, as the sun had set and the Moon peeked out through the clouds, Rubeus and Drillbit appeared in Juuban Park, right near the center fountain that had been turned off for the night.

"He's going to have to come here," Rubeus said. "When he does, we'll go after him. It will get Reenie and Ikuko to come out to help him, and that's when we do it."

"But what about Beryl?" Drillbit asked. "I thought we had to make sure she sees what we do to her."

"She will come. Remember who is friends with Beryl now. Besides, I think she will have another person to deal with that will make her come, if you remember."

"Ahh, yes. How could I forget?"

**-xXXXXx-**

The next day, Melissa had begun her walk to the Crown Game Center, and though she was still feeling the psychological effects of the meditation from a few days ago, she only gave small sighs every time she thought about it.

However, her thoughts were quickly interrupted by construction that had started on the street she usually traveled on. There were orange barricades all around the street, though no one was around to begin the work yet. The construction included the sidewalk, so it was closed off to everyone, which meant that she had to find a way around it. She turned at a corner and began her detour, turning another and into an alleyway.

She got halfway through the alley, not even considering anything would happen to her, when she suddenly felt a stinging hit to her back. It was so hard that she bounced off the uneven brick.

"You're not so tough after all, Queen Beryl," a bold, booming female voice harked behind her.

Melissa gritted her teeth and looked to her attacker. She was about as tall as Melissa was, though a bit slimmer. She had similar characteristics, as well, only she had blue hair and green eyes. She also had pale yellow skin and was wearing what looked to be a two piece swimsuit and matching heels. However, what made Melissa gasp were the large wings on her back. They were reminiscent of another group she remembered.

"P-Pandora? The sixth...?"

"You _do_ remember me, do you, Beryl? How could you do it? How could you send my sisters to die?"

"You were unstable, P..."

"No, I wasn't!" Pandora screamed as she quickly made a hand turn into a sliver of tentacles and smacked Melissa in the chest with them. "I was ready and able to fight them, and you just didn't give a damn about my feelings!"

Though she was in pain, Melissa fought to get to her feet. "Listen to yourself, Pandora. This is why..."

"Shut up!" Pandora's tentacle hand wrapped around Melissa's neck and began to strangle her. Melissa felt like her head was going to pop off her body given how hard she was being choked. "Feel that, Melissa? That's how I felt when I knew you were sending my sisters to their death sentence. I hate you for what you did to them! You knew they wouldn't be able to beat the Sailors and still be alive!"

'_Only Youma that showed emotion,_' Melissa thought as she gasped for any breath she could. '_At least the ones that were controlled by the Dark Kingdom.'_

As Melissa fell to one knee, Pandora eased closer to her victim. "I don't care who sees me kill you, as long as I get to watch you squirm and die. I want to see you get put through the hell you put me through. At least _your_ hell will end quickly. I had to spend an eternity with my nightmare."

"I'm not the...queen anymore. Metaria...is using you."

"I told you to shut up!" Pandora tightened her grip on Melissa's neck, and she collapsed to the ground. She felt paralyzed and unable to even move her hands to assuage the pain, let alone call for any of her attacks. "Yeah, that's it. Let your body fall. It's only fitting that I am here to cause it!" She lifted Melissa into the air by her neck and slammed her back first into one of the buildings three consecutive times before throwing her back down into the ground. "That's for my other sisters!" She raised her other hand towards Melissa, a light beam forming within it. "I'll be able to shoot you constantly until you die!" She shot out a beam that hit Melissa's ribs hard. She screamed in pain, and she did so as another one hit in the same area.

"S...Stop, Pandora!" Melissa choked.

"Oh, you're begging for mercy, is it? Too bad you're not going to get it, you sick bitch!"

Melissa felt another hard shot to her ribs. She was in tears, and she was trying to do her best to get some air into her lungs. She could even feel herself turning blue in the face, and Pandora could see the discoloration of Melissa's skin and chuckled at the sight.

She was about to fire another beam when Drillbit appeared in front of her. "Pandora! What the hell are you doing?"

"She's gonna die for putting my sisters through hell!"

"Not now!" Drillbit smacked Pandora in the arm with his wrench tool. It was nothing more than a sting to Pandora, but it was successful at making her release Melissa from her tentacle grab. "You will have your chance, but we need to stick to the plan, remember?"

"How could you even think about anything like that? How could you let her live?"

"I'm not, but you have to follow orders right now! That, and you're not the only one who wants to kill her. Trust me, you'll get your chance. C'mon, calm down and let's get to the park. That kid will be there later, and we must prepare. We'll get her when we get to Serena."

It took Pandora a few moments to do so, but she finally nodded as she disappeared with Drillbit, leaving Melissa for dead.

Or so they thought, as Melissa gasped for air repeatedly, using the wall to get back to her feet. He back was stinging, and her ribs felt like they were broken. "Not...again!" She turned to her back and sunk down onto the ground, painful as it was to do so. "I don't want to go to the hospital again. I can't now. I'll be fine, though I'm going to be late for work." She fought to her feet and began walking, rather gingerly, towards the arcade.

**-xXXXXx-**

"Melissa?" Andrew asked as he saw his employee enter the arcade. He ran over to greet her, seeing the visible scars and slight discoloration on her face. "What happened to you? You look like hell!"

"Andrew, I'm sorry I'm late."

"Judging from how you walked in here, I can say you have a damn good reason. One I'm worried about. Did you get attacked by some thugs?"

"You...could say that."

"Police haven't been that adept lately. Election is coming up soon, too. Not sure why the chief isn't working overtime to win over those votes."

"I need to use the phone," Melissa said, ignoring Andrew's critique.

"Need to call the hospital?"

"Hell no! I hate hospitals! I need to call Serena."

"Sure. I'm not about to let you work in your condition, though."

Andrew led Melissa slowly to the back room, where a black table top phone sat atop a desk that was somewhat cluttered with papers.

"I can give you some privacy if you need it. I have to get some work done with a few of the machines, anyway. Let me know when you're done, all right?"

Melissa nodded and picked up the receiver as Andrew exited and shut the door. Melissa dialed a number and heard a ringtone.

**-xXXXXx-**

Ikuko had the house to herself for now. Kenji was well enough to be able to return to work, and all the kids were at school right now. This was the first time she had such peace and quiet, though whenever she got it, she soon realized how much she missed her other life. Still, though, it was nice to be able to have some time in which she didn't have to hear anything else but her thoughts.

She looked in Sammy's neatly kept room. She smiled and sighed as she looked over to his dresser. On it was the picture of her and her family. It was the same one that Casto had taken and then returned, though she didn't know of that. She slowly picked it up and moved it closer to her eyes. She and Sammy were sitting next to each other in the grass, with Serena wearing a cheesy smile and Kenji in the center, though standing tall behind everyone else. Ikuko's smile widened as she felt a tear escape her.

She was about to touch the picture when she heard the phone ring downstairs. '_Who could that be right now? Perhaps someone saying I'm behind on some bills or something_.' She put the picture down and slowly made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. Though there was a phone in the living room, the kitchen's wall phone was closer to the steps.

"Hello? Sommers' residence!"

"Did Serena go to school yet or is she still there?"

"Uhh...yeah. She's in school. May I ask who's calling and why you're asking for her?"

"Yes, Ikuko. It's Melissa. Her friend that visited your house the other day?"

Ikuko's eyes widened. "You mean Melissa Beryl? You're that tall woman I was wondering about."

"Yes. Listen, Ikuko, I know you know who she really is."

That sent Ikuko for a proverbial loop. "Wait! What do you mean?"

"I'm...not who you think I am. Don't worry, you can trust me. I have no intentions of hurting your daughter, but I do know about your issues with Rubeus."

That name sent chills down her spine. "Rubeus! You know him?"

"More than I want to know, Mrs. Sommers."

"So you must mean you know she's Sailor Moon, right? And you know that I know?"

"Exactly. I need to talk to her."

"She is in school right now. But any friend of Serena's is a friend of mine. What's going on?"

"I got attacked today. Possibly by one of the monsters you've probably been seeing hanging around Rubeus!"

"Oh, my God! But you don't have one of those intercoms that they use?"

"Not yet. I wish now I had asked about that." Melissa grunted a bit, probably in pain, before continuing, "Ikuko, I overheard them saying something about a plan to go after Serena, though I don't know what it is yet."

Sweat began forming on her forehead. "Do they know you know?"

"I hope not. I tried to make it seem like I didn't even hear them as I was walking away. They thought I was unconscious."

"What do you want me to do, though?"

"They talked about some park and that a kid will be there later. Knowing about who is close to Serena..."

"She's been more protective of the family than ever. And they could be talking about Reenie or..._oh_, _my God_!"

"Sammy? Her younger...?"

"I told him I would never let anything bad happen to him again yesterday!"

"Ikuko?"

"Which park? Please, _tell me_!"

Melissa raised her voice as she heard Ikuko panic. "Calm down, Ikuko!"

"He's going to try to kill him again! I can't neglect him again! I need to know which park!"

"Probably the central park near the hospital, but..._Ikuko_!" Melissa heard the phone drop and bang a few times on the wall. It was left hanging off the hook.

**-xXXXXx-**

Melissa heard a door slam on the other end of the line.

"Ikuko, what the hell are you thinking?"

She heard the door swing open, and Andrew peeking in. "Is everything okay, Melissa? I heard some yelling."

"I'm sorry, Andrew. You don't have to pay me today. There's an emergency I have to get to right away!"

"In your condition? I don't know if I should let you work, let alone rush out..."

"I'm sorry, Andrew! Someone close to me is making a huge mistake!"

"But Melissa..."

Andrew could say nothing else. Melissa darted past him and raced out the door. He was surprised at the bravery of his employee, and walked into the office to hang up his phone.

'_What's going on, Melissa? Why do you think you can't tell me?_'

**-xXXXXx-**

Serena and Casto were in their English class, close to lunch time. It was the last period until recess. For the two, there was a sense that the worst was over. They didn't see Miss Haruna enter the school, but they didn't see Mister Koa either. The latter was good news, though the former worried them slightly. Did Haruna have issues with her ribs? Did she have to go back to the hospital? Or was she just running late? Neither of the two had talked to any of their friends yet today, which was interesting seeing as the person who was instrumental in keeping them apart was thought to have departed.

That was a thought that dissipated as the now familiar salt-and-pepper haired teacher made his way into the classroom. It not only sent a shockwave throughout the entire classroom, but it also made the siblings' stomachs churn.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here when you heard of Miss Haruna's recovery and imminent return," Koa began. "Well," he continued as he put his books on his desk, "let's just say, you're going to get used to me now."

'_No! Please no!_' Casto thought.

'_Patty,_' Serena said in her mind, '_what happened? Are you okay?_'

"You probably have heard the news around the hallways, but didn't know if you were hearing the truth or not. I assure you: it's all the truth, give or take some mis-tellings and some misinterpretations. I'm going to be here for the foreseeable future, and I do believe that I'm going to be instated as your permanent replacement."

'_What the hell did you do to Patty, you slime?_' Serena thought while clenching a fist and shedding a tear.

"This means that you now obey my rules in this class at all times, and if you do not," Koa chuckled, "let's just say: Hell hath no fury like a teacher scorned, right?"

One student in the back of the room raised her hand. As Koa pointed to her, she spoke, "What's going on with Miss Haruna?"

"She decided that her injuries were too much for her to be able to continue. She is going to resign this week. Though I don't think that's any of your business, now is it?"

"We loved Miss Haruna, though."

"_I'm_ the goddamn teacher now!" Mister Koa screamed as he slammed a fist down on the desk. "I don't give a rat's ass _who_ you loved! _I'm_ the _only_ teacher you will be listening to now. Go ahead! Someone else dare to ask a question about her! I'm hoping I get a chance to make an example out of one of you."

'_For what?_' Casto asked himself.

"Casto," Mister Koa yelled as he eyed the older sibling, "I'm sure you're going to want to say something about Miss Patrica Haruna! Ask something, you punk!"

Casto was at a loss for words. "I don't have anything to say, except I hope she'll be all right."

"Her condition is none of your business!"

Casto was going to say something else, but bit his tongue.

"C'mon, Casto! I know you want to make some smart ass comment about how I shouldn't act this way!"

"Just teach the class," he sighed.

"What was that?" Koa said, walking towards Casto's desk. "I thought I heard something."

"Nothing, Mister Koa."

Koa walked over to Casto and put his mouth near his ear, whispering, "I want you gone!" As Koa corrected his posture and walked back to his desk, Casto could only gasp. The only good thing right now was that he started the lesson right afterwards.

**-xXXXXx-**

"What's going on with Patty, Melvin?" Serena asked her nerdy friend at lunch, albeit in a secluded corner outside alongside Casto.

"Did he say something about Miss Haruna not feeling up to coming back?" The two siblings both nodded. "That's a complete lie. I know it is."

"Did you find anything out, Mel?" Casto asked.

"I can't confirm it, but she's _is_ resigning, though not by choice."

Casto took a step back. "What the hell?"

"Yes, I know. I don't want to think of it myself. But someone was saying something about hearing of her getting fired."

Serena could feel her heart sink. "I have to call her!" She threw her lunch bag on the ground and headed into the school building.

"Casto," Melvin said, "I know I'm usually the one to hear these gossip stories, and I'm usually right. But this is the one time I hope I'm wrong. If she really is getting..."

"Mel," Casto interrupted, putting a hand on Melvin's shoulder, "if she's going to be, we're going to make sure she has the best damn people defending her."

"I hate that man," Melvin growled quietly. "He told my father that me and Molly were doing more than just hanging out, and that you were swindling Serena's family!"

Casto's jaw dropped, though his upper lip quivered. "I remember you telling me about that before. It's just as shocking now as it was then. How could he even _think_...?"

"Casto, forgive me for saying it this way, but," Melvin took a deep breath, "I wanted to run out of my room at that moment and rip that son of a bitch apart."

Casto's eyes widened slightly, though he smirked just as much. "Why didn't you?"

"I'm better than that, Cas. It's not that I can't fight. It's that I don't like to. I've been a diplomatic person all my life, and I hate these wars I keep hearing about. I just try to find a way out of fist fighting anyone. But something inside of me came alive when I heard him say that about Molly, and then that disgusting remark about you. I would never take advantage of her, and I know you wouldn't ever con anyone's family."

"I'm glad you said something. Listen, I..."

"Bro," they heard Serena say as she came back to meet them, "I need you with me. She's at home, and I think you have to hear this. The principal also knows what's going on."

"He does?" Melvin asked.

"Okay, sis. Mel, you can come, too."

"No thanks, Cas," Melvin answered. "I think I got my confirmation of what happened. I hope he gets his."

"We all do, Mel!" Casto said. "And by the way, if you ever feel the urge to kick his ass, let me know before you do so, because I would love to see you own him!"

As Serena cocked an eyebrow, Melvin smiled. "No prob, Cas!"

Casto turned and followed Serena into the building.

However, standing on the other end of the schoolyard, watching all of it, was a dirty blond male who couldn't be any taller than Melvin was. "Wasn't that Serena and Casto talking to that Melvin dork?"

"Yeah," a taller, black-haired male student answered. "They nearly took the bait from us that one day."

"That was when Miss Haruna broke us up and sent us to the principal's office, right?" asked one of the female students in the group. She was a bit different in that she wore black boots in the school. The tops were covered by her slacks—another unique feature of her school attire—so no one noticed or cared.

"The last day before she was injured, yes," a masculine, deep voice said.

"The doofus doesn't like to fight, right?" the last brunette female asked.

"Yes, Mokoto," the leader retorted. "That's exactly what he said. I want to see if he's true to that word."

"Let's just not do this until after school, Yumee," the muscular male suggested.

"I know, I know, Akira. You don't have to remind me that we'll be fighting him in a land mine right now. We'll wait until after school, and then, when he least expects it, we teach him the lesson he'll never forget."

"Five on one?" the first, purple-haired female asked.

"Not like anything else we've done, Mai!"

"I know. It's just," Mai sighed, "I don't know. Just seems weird now. I have a bad feeling something awful will happen to us if we go ahead and beat him up."

"He isn't going to suddenly go ape shit on any of us, Mai," the tall male said.

"I _know_ that, Itagki!"

"Then what are you going on about?" Yumee scolded.

"Some bad premonition, that's all. I hope I'm wrong."

"You'll see, Mai," Yumee replied, "he's not going to fight back. I'm sure of it. In fact, I'll _make_ sure of it!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Melissa was racing the fastest her legs—and her beaten up body—could run. She didn't know how much time she had left until Rubeus put whatever plan he had into motion, and she remembered Serena telling her something about him going after Ikuko.

'I_kuko, I admire your bravery, but let me handle him. You don't know what he's capable of!_'

She only wished she had some sort of way to contact the Sailors and let them know something was about to happen.

She turned another corner and began her sprint again. Just a bit up the block, however, she saw someone exit a restaurant and get right in her path. She couldn't stop in time, and she collided with him. While he collapsed where he stood, she somersaulted onto the ground. She got back to her feet as quickly as she could.

"Hey," the man yelled, "watch where you're going, woman! You almost killed me!"

"I'm sorry, mister!" Melissa said as she turned to face the male. This was a weird looking guy to her. She only heard of such a hair color as salt-and-pepper, but she had just seen such a color on this tall, irritating man.

"Well, you should say sorry to my supervisor who's gonna let me know about being late now. There's no rush though Juuban! I gotta get back to the school. I was running late as it is! Just be careful next time!" The man got into his car and swiftly drove off.

As she turned back around to begin running again, Melissa's eyes widened. She felt something unlike anything she ever had before, and it made her turn around at where that man once stood.

'_Why am I feeling like this?_' she thought. '_Those bad vibes are coming from that man! He said something about a school, and he looked like he wanted to kill me just now. Metaria, you're not trying to disguise the Youmas again, are you?'_

Melissa was about to start racing after the man when someone else came out of the restaurant. It was a female, though a bit shorter than Melissa. "Did you see how rude he was? I hope he doesn't teach class like that!"

"Who?" Melissa asked the woman.

"Oh, hi there," the female answered, turning to Melissa. "That man who...wait, you're the woman he just got ran over by. That's probably the best thing that's ever happened to him."

"Why do you say that? Weird behavior?"

"Well, not for him. He's the new English teacher, God help those poor students at Juuban High."

'_Juuban High? At least that eases my mind of Metaria infiltrating Sammy's school._' "Who was he, and why are you talking about him like that?"

"You don't know? That was Mister Harold Koa!"

Melissa coiled back slightly. "So _that_ was Mister Koa!"

"So you _have_ heard of him."

"Just some bits and pieces. Nothing I can really say are true or not. What do you mean new English teacher?"

"Something happened to Patrica's job. I don't know what for, but they don't want her teaching there anymore. Some of the kids who come in here for breakfast were shocked when I said what I knew."

'_Patrica's...no. How cruel can one person be?_' "Listen, thank you for talking to me. I was in the middle of heading to the park. Something's happening there that I'm running extremely late for. Please forgive my haste. Thanks!" Melissa zipped towards the park again.

"Weird woman!" the female said as she went back into the restaurant.

'_That's the guy Molly was talking about,_' Melissa thought. '_I bet that's also the person Casto was going to talk to me about. If he's done anything to Patrica, Zoy will never forgive me, nor should she. Hell, I won't even forgive myself for letting it happen._'

On the roof of the restaurant, Pandora rested in stealth behind an air conditioning vent. "Yes, Queen Beryl! Keep running to your fate. I'll get you yet."

She held out her hand in front of her. Materializing in that hand was a projected picture of her and her five DD Sisters. "I loved all of you. I told you the Dark Kingdom was bad news, but you wanted to keep fighting for what you thought was right. I tried and tried, but she was so evil to all of us. And the other Youmas told me that they knew what they were getting into, and that I shouldn't have whined. I was the only one who knew that the Sailors were too tough for us in our current state. If only Beryl listened, she would've beaten them, and she would've never sent my sisters to die for nothing. She manipulated them so much that they began to hate me for telling the truth."

She quietly looked around to make sure no one was had peeped near her position before disintegrating the projection. "I've waited so long to finally get my chance at revenge, waiting until she was most vulnerable before revealing myself to Rubeus and the new Youma. I want her to burn to ashes." She vanished into thin air.

**-xXXXXx-**

"This can't be happening, Patty," Serena cried through the phone in the main office of the school.

"Don't worry, Serena," she heard Haruna say on the other end. "I'm not going to just let them do this to me. If I can't get my job back, I'm at least going to make sure I get what I'm entitled to."

"You're entitled to your job, Patty! We need you!"

"Principal Demitri," Casto asked, "what were the stipulations?"

"She's to resign within the week," Demitri answered. "If she doesn't, they can move to terminate her at their leisure."

"Good lord!"

"And Mister Koa is the permanent replacement."

"Patty, I can vouch for you if you want," Serena pleaded.

"Thank you, Serena. I go before the S.A. Board tomorrow to discuss this, and what the situation is. I would love to have you by my side. But only if it's okay with Mister Demitri."

Serena took the receiver off her ear for a moment and looked towards the elderly principal. "Is it all right if I go and support Miss Haruna tomorrow at the board meeting? She says she wants me there, but only if you approve."

"I don't know how Mister Koa will like that," Demitri answered. "But I want some answers, too. That, and Harold answers to me if he wants to teach here. Serena, I'll be happy to grant you not only the excursion, but also the transportation there. I'm supposed to go there, too, and I can ride..."

"Serena," Patrica called out. Serena put the receiver back onto her ear as the now former teacher continued, "I'll pick you up from your house. I want to talk to you anyway. Let him know I'll go ahead and ride you there."

"Sure, Patty. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, Serena. Stay good, and just try to keep your cool around him until we can get all this straightened out, okay?"

"I'll try, and I hope Casto can keep his cool around Mister Koa, as well."

'_As long as that douchebag doesn't say any of that shit Melvin told me about to my face,_' Casto thought.

"I have faith in you, Serena. Remember, with great power, comes great responsibility. Talk to you tomorrow." Patrica hung up afterwards.

As Serena put the receiver back on the base, she looked towards her peers. "She's going to pick me up tomorrow, Mister Demitri. I hope that's okay. She insisted on wanting to talk to me."

"All I have to do is make sure I fill out the paperwork to get you excused for the day to go up there tomorrow. But I have to warn you, Serena: those guys are brutal. It will take a lot to convince them that you are telling the truth, and even then, they don't budge easily."

"I'll be fine, I think," Serena answered with an uncomfortable sigh.

"Serena knows what to do, Mister Demitri," Casto reiterated."Trust me, she has a temper, and isn't afraid to tell someone how it is."

'_Thank you, bro,_' Serena told herself in her mind. '_I needed to hear that_.'

"I know she will be," Toko said. "I have full confidence in her, though I think maybe you should go, too, Casto."

"I think she can do fine without any..."

"No, not as support, Casto, but as another witness. You, too, have been victim of a lot from Mister Koa. I think they should hear your stories, as well. The more they hear, the more likely they are to listen to what is being told."

"Mister Demitri, with all due respect," Serena replied, "the last time, they ignored an entire school to keep him employed."

"They didn't have anyone who's at risk to lose their job over him like they do now. Besides, this will be a very good opportunity to show that you two have learned something from this school and Miss Haruna. Now, I think you should be getting to your next class. I'll make an announcement over the comm in just a moment that Miss Haruna's health isn't at risk. I think that's what everyone was worried about. At the least, they can rest easy knowing that much about her situation."

The two siblings nodded as they made their way into the hallway.

**-xXXXXx-**

Patrica put the phone back onto the charger and collapsed into the couch. She was again in pain, but she could not help but shed more tears.

"If I can't work, I'm going to be kicked out," she cried. "I'm behind on my rent. I'm scared. I don't have anyone to go to. If I can't teach, I can't do anything else to get money. I'm so scared...of being homeless again."

**-xXXXXx-**

Melissa finally got to the park. She felt like she had ran a country mile to get there, but she finally saw the trees, grass, paved paths that weaved through the area, and numerous benches. She also saw the center fountain, where she found Rubeus waiting on someone. Right beside him: Drillbit.

"So, there you are," Melissa whispered. "But where's...?"

"Rubeus!" Melissa heard a woman call out. She recognized that voice from earlier today. Actually, she recognized it from a few days ago.

"Ikuko!" she gasped.

"You...gotta be kidding me," Rubeus was heard chuckling. "I know that voice."

"Who is it?" Drillbit asked.

"It's Ikuko. Serena's mother. Or should I say, adoptive mother."

"She was reborn, you idiot," Melissa growled beneath her breath.

"You will not harm my family again!" Ikuko continued. This time, however, Melissa saw her walk along the path, right towards the fountain where the two villains laid in wait.

"No! Ikuko, please turn back!"

"You decided to return to me, did you? You were too in love with me to resist crawling back," Rubeus laughed.

"Yes, Rubeus." Ikuko grinned as she found her target. "I'm here. I came back, and I loved everything you did to me. In fact, I wish for more."

"Wow, Rubeus," Drillbit said in shock, "you really know your way with the ladies, do you?"

"As long as I'm still alive, I will still haunt you, Rubeus. You didn't finish the job, and I wanted more. I loved when you made me bleed, and when I called you a piece of shit. Oh, hell yes! You don't know how much that turned me on."

"Ikuko," Melissa cried, though she still attempted to stay quiet and hidden in some bushes along the outside path of the park. "What the hell?"

"Rubeus, as long as you don't harm my family, you can have me. Do whatever you want to me. Abuse me, kill me. Hell, make love to me if you want to! I know you want me! I could see it in your eyes when you slapped me and choked me on that pipe. You fell in love with me. Don't deny it. C'mon, Rubeus."

"Rubeus, that's one hell of an offer," Drillbit smiled. "I'd tap that."

"If it's too good to be true, it probably is," Rubeus answered.

"I can't be here waiting all night, Rubeus. You know me. I can't be stood up for too long. If you're going to give me what I've been craving ever since that day, then we need to start. I'm aching for it."

"Okay, if you insist." Rubeus smirked as he began walking towards Ikuko.

"Damn it, Ikuko," Melissa whispered, waiting for the right moment to pounce, "this is insane. What sort of sick mind did he install in you? If you hurt her, Rubeus..."

As Melissa laid in wait, hoping that she could get her timing just right, Pandora appeared on the end of the park, on a path overpass. She had a perfect view of the entire situation, though she knew no one could spot her as she ducked down beneath the stone guard rail.

"So you're Ikuko," Pandora whispered to herself. "I was wondering who he was talking about all this time. Don't worry, ma'am. You are not a target, and I do not wish to infringe on your fight with Rubeus. My fight is with Melissa, not you."

**-xXXXXx-**

The school day was finally over, and for Melvin, it was a long walk home. Though he was still on probation, he was relieved that Mister Koa was busier with Molly than with him. That, and Melvin's dad trusted him enough to be able to walk home without any trouble.

Melvin was the last one to exit the building. He was running a bit late from having to fumble through his locker for his books. He just now realized how much of a mess that locker was. When was the last time he cleaned it out? Last semester? He used some time to get some of that stuff out of the locker, and by the time he was finally ready to leave, it had grown about twenty minutes later. It didn't help that the workers were scuffling in to begin the work on the computer lab. Another day of the school being closed was more or less in the books, as far as he was concerned.

He went onto a side street that was West of the school. He had heard of this shortcut from another student last year, though he didn't have any reason until now to use it. Though he knew that so many abnormal issues in a row, all at the same time, were a bad sign, he didn't want to think about it as he continued down the street.

There was a small area in the brick wall outlining the school premises that had a gap in it. Just wide enough for someone to go through. It wasn't an unfinished part of the wall, but rather a sort of emergency escape route. The other side of the school had the gymnasium entrance that he had exited from when he was abducted by Rubeus, though the brick wall didn't make it easy for him to spot where he actually escaped from, provided that he cared to look.

However, as he passed by that gap and neared another corner, he was met by a muscular teen with mustard hair. "You're not going anywhere, you geek!"

Without another word or warning, Melvin was shoved into that gap, and into another male's awaiting arms.

"Get in here!" he screamed as he threw Melvin behind him and onto the ground. "Good work, Akira!"

"And _stay there_, doofus!" Itagki screamed before kicking him in the ribs as if he was kicking a football. It made Melvin launch into the brick of the school wall.

"You really think you could get away from us, huh, Melvin?" Yumee said as he grabbed the kid by the shirt and dragged him back up. He punched him in the mouth, and then in the gut. The gut punch made Melvin gag, perhaps on his own blood.

Mokoto bent down near Melvin and spat on him. "There! That's as much as you'll ever be worth!"

Yumee picked him up again, Melvin's face with a cut and drenched in saliva, and ordered, "Now, Akira!" Akira charged like a bull and rammed into Melvin with his entire girth. Melvin fell to the ground, now limp and unable to defend himself.

Mai, however, was only watching as her four friends pounded on the kid like a punching bag. '_I didn't know they hated him this much, though.'_

Outside of the gap, someone had approached the point in which Melvin was blindsided, and he heard the action as he was fumbling for his keys. It was Mister Koa. As soon as he heard it, he quickly hid to the side of the gap, just enough to where he could see them beating Melvin up.

'_Damn it,_' he thought to himself, not moving a muscle, '_why did you have to go and do this now? You guys know they are going to think this is because of my influence. Not that he doesn't deserve it._'

He heard a voice shout to Melvin, "This is what we do to losers like you!" Another voice called, "You've already failed at life! Just so you know, Casto is going to be next!"

'_No, let me handle Casto,' _Koa thought to himself.

Behind the school, Melvin was becoming a bloody mess. Yumee was kicking his ribs as hard as he could. While they were doing so, Mai was looking on, seeing that Melvin's eyes were becoming blurry. She could see them through his now broken glasses, which Akira stripped from him and broke completely with his foot.

'_Should I say something to them?_' Mai asked herself. '_He looks like shit right now. I know I was agreeing to this earlier but...oh, God, what are we doing to him?_'

She looked around, praying that someone—anyone—would come and put a stop to this massacre. She looked to her left to see the head of Mister Koa, looking on, though she was careful not to let him know that she had realized that he was there.

'_Has he been watching this? He hasn't even done a damn thing, and this is school property. He has a duty to the school to stop this kind of stuff. He's the only one that can stop...'_

"C'mon, Melvin, scream out!" Yumee yelled. "Cry like the wimp you really are!"

Akira stomped on his chest cavity, a move that made Melvin have to gasp for air. Akira responded by stomping him again.

Yumee, with widened eyes, picked him up yet again and punched him in that same area. Melvin could feel himself begin to lose consciousness, maybe even more than that. The attacker punched him two more times, with the second time more down to the gut, which made Melvin choke on his blood.

Mai saw Melvin choke while still gasping for air, and lost the battle with her conscious. She ran in between Yumee and Melvin. "_All right_, already!"

"The hell are you doing, Mai?" Yumee screamed.

"Enough's enough! You told us we would teach him a lesson, not try to commit murder! You're gonna kill him!"

"Not enough of a lesson, Mai! _Move_!"

"No, Yumee! I knew something bad was going to happen. Let's go! We've done enough."

"Should I teach Mai a lesson, Yumee?"

"What are you saying, Akira? Not right now."

"We're supposed to be friends," Mai cried. "I'm saying this as a friend: don't do anything you're going to regret."

"You agreed to it!" Yumee stated.

"I didn't know you wanted to kill him!"

"Maybe that's what it will take for him to know that he isn't wanted in this school!"

Mai tried to find more words to continue to get some answers out of him, but only said, "I thought I heard someone come close here, anyway. We're going to be caught soon if we don't get out of here."

"I don't care who sees this!"

"But I do! Let's at least make them think they don't have to fear us, and then surprise them." '_That and I got my mother and father that I'll have to face._'

"You're only so lucky that Mai has shown some mercy for you," Yumee screamed to Melvin. "She may not be here the next time I see you. Better hope to God there isn't a next time!"

The group began to walk towards the gym, leaving Melvin for dead. However, once the rest of the group turned the corner, Mai looked back at Melvin. She waited until he eyed her before mouthing to him, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" She then looked towards the gap, '_No police to even be heard of. And Mister Koa! Could they have been right about you? You're one sick man to just allow us to do that to him._' She slowly began to walk away, hesitating as she did so.

'_Mai,_' Mister Koa thought, '_why did you have to stop the show? At least now I don't have to worry about Melvin blowing a whistle like he did in elementary school. Thank you, Yumee!_' He walked away, fumbling with his keys once more.

Even though Melvin was near out on his feet, he still used the wall of the school to drag himself towards the gym door. It was when he neared it that one of the workers opened the door and saw the shell of a human kid.

"My God, kid! What the crap happened to _you_?" the worker gasped. "Guys, call an ambulance, _now_!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Melissa knew she needed to act fast, but she also knew that she couldn't screw this up in any way. Getting Ikuko out of danger was priority number one, but failing at doing so would put her at even more risk. Even with her trying to figure out Ikuko's strategy of luring Rubeus into what she hoped was a trap of some kind, Melissa was on her toes waiting for Rubeus to get close enough to the bush she was hiding behind.

What Melissa didn't see—nor did anyone else—was Pandora still on the overpass, waiting for the right time to strike her with her hard light beam. Pandora could see that Melissa was still in some pain, though she knew all about Melissa's tolerance of pain and how she had braved through it in the past to achieve a goal.

'_You can't keep your injuries hidden from me, Beryl!_' Pandora whispered in her mind. '_I'm about to finish what I started in that alley.' _She aimed perfectly. She knew that one shot could be all she needed to kill Melissa.

"Rubeus!" Drillbit yelled out.

"Not now, Drillbit," Rubeus answered as he inched ever-so-close to Ikuko. "I'm about to get me some..."

"They're here!"

Everyone present looked to the south end of the park. Both Reenie and Sammy were making their way across the street, right near where Rubeus and Drillbit had planned to make their move.

'_That's Sammy?_' Pandora asked herself. '_Just some kid?_'

"So, Ikuko," Rubeus smirked, "looks like you're just in time to watch me finish the job on your family."

Pandora gasped. '_What?'_

"_Reenie_! _Sammy_! Run, _now_!" Ikuko cried.

"What?" Sammy uttered.

"Shut _up_!" Rubeus smacked Ikuko hard in the face, making her fall on her rear.

Melissa clenched her fist when she saw Rubeus pull out his Hizrounswa Gun. "Drillbit, watch Ikuko for me!"

"Sammy, go!" Reenie ordered. Sammy ran for his life and was able to get away from the park.

"It's not him I'm after anyway, Reenie," Rubeus growled as he pointed the gun at her and changed the gun level to six. "It's _you_!"

* * *

Will be a few more chapters to go in War Games. Got a bit more planned before I really unleash something you'll never be seeing coming. And sorry if this seemed to be more of a depressing chapter than the others you've read so far. Trust me, if you hated what happened to some of the people in this chapter...there's some revenge upcoming.

Thank you for reading. Good night and good luck.


	13. Pandora's Box

WAR GAMES  
CHAPTER 13  
Pandora's Box

Written by Darkpower  
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)

* * *

Several paramedics rushed a stretcher into the emergency room. A young man, physically and emotionally scarred, was on the stretcher, staring at the ceiling as he was whisked off into one of the many rooms.

'_Is it really that bad?_' the man, Melvin Gurio, asked himself. '_Am I...dead?_'

The paramedics yelled out to anyone within earshot. The words consisted of medical lingo that he didn't care to understand at the moment. He was a smart kid, but not even geniuses could think in his condition—though he did catch someone asking, "How is he not dead right now?" He closed his eyes as the sounds in the hospital put him to sleep.

**-xXXXXx-**

"It's not him I'm after anyway, Reenie, It's _you_!"

The Hizrounswa Gun was at level six and pointed at the young, pink haired girl. Rubeus peered into eyes that showed fear. She had her crystal and could transform, but given how fast Rubeus could be, could she change over in time? Sammy had fled to what Reenie hoped was a safe distance, though Ikuko was still standing right near Rubeus, and he could've just as easily turned the gun towards her and fired. Melissa was ready to pounce; she just needed to time it right so she wouldn't put anyone else in danger. No one was aware of Pandora on a stone overpass in the center of Juuban Park, watching over everything while in shock at what she was witnessing.

Reenie opened up her locket and began to shout, "Moon! Pris-"

He fired, and the entire moment felt like an eternity. The shot rang out though the skies of the city. The bricks were hit so hard behind Reenie that she thought the entire building would collapse on her. She somersaulted out of the way of the falling rock.

"Rubeus, I told you not to harm the kid!" she heard a familiar voice growl. She looked over to see Melissa struggling with Rubeus on the ground.

"You traitor," Rubeus snarled as he tried to wrestle his wrists out from Melissa's vice grip. "So you still try to defy us in the Dark Kingdom! You defy your true calling!"

"I don't answer to you or her! I'm happy where I am!"

"Me-Melissa?" Ikuko breathed.

"Run, Ikuko," Melissa ordered. "I don't know why you came, but staying here is foolish! Let me deal with him!"

"No, Melissa! I can't sit around and do nothing anymore!" Ikuko ran towards the two and reached for Rubeus' hand. Melissa's hands around his own causing Rubeus to lose his grip momentarily, Ikuko swiped the Hizrounswa Gun away from him and pointed it at Drillbit and Rubeus, moving back and forth between the two villains.

"Ikuko, no!" Melissa screamed.

"You idiot!" Rubeus growled. "You really think you have the guts to fire it?"

"I don't know what this gun is, but I've used a pistol before, and I'm not afraid to again!" Ikuko back-stepped away from Rubeus. "Leave my family and friends alone! I don't know why you've targeted my loved ones, but it ends now!"

"You have some nerve, little lady," Drillbit said. "But you're still just a child holding power that's too big for you!"

Pandora froze stiff as she watched the scene from above while trying to keep herself hidden. '_She sounds exactly how I felt when my sisters were preaching to me! That must be that Hizrounswa thing I keep hearing about!_'

"I know that one shot can really screw all of you up!" Ikuko continued. "I'm not afraid of any of you! I know who you all are! Enemies of my daughter, and I will not put up with Serena being terrorized like she has been!"

"Shut up!" Rubeus yelled before firing a beam at Ikuko. Ikuko leapt out of the way, but as Melissa panicked at the shot, Rubeus was able to fire another one at Melissa, which sent her flying off of him and onto grass. He quickly jumped to his feet and raced to grab his gun back. He was nearly at point blank range when Ikuko pulled the trigger, He ducked just in time, using a baseball slide to clip her feet from under her. He saw his gun pop out of her hand as she collided with concrete, and he scoured the device from the ground and pointed it right at Ikuko.

"I should commend you," he said. "You really have become such a trashy woman since I had you tied up."

"It won't change a damn thing if you kill me, Rubeus," Ikuko snarled. "It will only make you into less of a man. You'll have to kill me before I let you harm my family again."

"So be it, bitch!"

He was about to fire when Melissa knocked him down with a shoulder to the middle of his spine. She then helped Ikuko back up to her feet.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Melissa scolded. "This is sheer stupidity!"

"I couldn't let my family go through this anymore!"

"You should learn from the broad, Melissa," Rubeus laughed. "Being loyal! It's something you don't do too often, do you?"

"Shut up, Rubeus!" Melissa ordered. "All you ever do anymore is talk trash and fire a gun. That's all you're ever good for."

"This gun can be the downfall of this world. You have no idea what this thing is capable of, and what I intend to do with it."

Looking at Reenie with concern, Pandora turned to Rubeus as she heard his claim. '_Yes, Rubeus. What do you intend to do with that thing? I may hate Melissa for what she did to my sisters, but I don't know if I want the entire world to suffer because of her._'

**-xXXXXx-**

Serena and Casto returned home at the same time from school. For the first time since returning to the house after the attack, the house was void of life. In fact, the only two sounds that could be heard were a song coming from Serena's room, and an off-the-hook tone coming from the kitchen.

Casto identified the song immediately, even at that distance—Guns N' Roses' "November Rain", a song that he thought suited their recent turmoil.

However, it was the sound from the phone that worried Serena as she walked into the kitchen and put it back onto the base. "Wasn't mom going to stay home today?"

"Thought so, too," her brother answered. "And Sammy should be here by now, shouldn't he?"

"I hope she just went to pick him up, or..."

She was interrupted by the same phone ringing. Both siblings stared at the coil-corded appliance with uncertainty as to what emotion to show. On the fourth ring, Serena answered it. "Hello?'

"Serena, I'm glad to hear your voice!"

"Darien! What's going on? You sound like something bad happened."

"Andrew called me about something that was going on with Melissa."

"Something happened to Melissa," Serena whispered to Casto before taking a hand off the microphone. "What's going on with her?"

"He said she came into the arcade with several injuries. She could barely walk, but she insisted on not going to the hospital, and was trying to call you before she suddenly bolted out the door for some reason."

"She would've talked to my mother because no one else was here, and you said she suddenly ran out the door?"

"That's what Andrew told me. He thought I would have better luck getting in touch with you than he could."

She once more whispered to Casto. "Melissa called here, and afterwards she ran out the door of the arcade. She was badly beaten by someone."

"Sounds more like...oh, my God!'

"Casto?"

"She called here, and then ran out of the arcade? And she talked to Ikuko...and we found the phone..."

"No! Please, God, no!"

"Serena?" Darien asked.

"The phone was off the hook when we came in, and my mother..."

"_That_ was why I couldn't call anyone! I called and tried to knock at the door. There was no answer since nine. I was looking all over to see if I could find her car anywhere."

"If he laid a hand on her..."

"_Serena_! _Casto_!" the siblings heard Sammy scream as he ran into the house, albeit a bit gingerly from his still injured knee.

"The hell...?" Casto asked.

"Mom was there with Rubeus. Reenie was there, and Rubeus had this pistol..."

Serena swiftly got to her knees and shook Sammy, dropping the phone in the process. "_Where_?"

"At Juuban Park, right by the hospital. Reenie told me to run, so I did."

"That gun with the Hizrounswa in it...and Reenie is...so help me, Rubeus, if you do a _thing _to her!"

"Calm down..."

Serena ran out the door. Casto could hear footsteps along the side of the house, along with a voice shouting "Moon Crystal Power! Make up!" and a sequence of sounds.

"Would he really...?"

"I don't know, Sammy. I hope not, but..."

"Casto? Serena? Anyone?"

Casto heard Darien's voice from the phone, and raced to ease his worries. "Yeah, I'm still here. Sis just bolted, too, though."

"Where to?"

"Juuban Park. Rubeus may have Reenie and Ikuko hostage there, and that's where I bet Melissa went, too."

"If she really is in the shape I was told she was in, she doesn't stand a chance against Rubeus."

"I've seen Melissa go through a lot of punishment, believe me. If she is there with Ikuko and Reenie, they have the best protection around right now."

"I guess you trust her, then."

"With my life!"

"Don't know if I can say the same, but somehow her being there makes me less worried about their safety. Still, we have to get there as soon as we can. If he does anything to Reenie..."

"I'll meet you there, Darien. I'm with sis on this one: Rubeus has gone way too far!"

Casto hung up the phone and looked into Sammy's eyes. "Stay here, bud. It's safest right now. We'll keep Reenie safe."

"Casto, don't let him kill her. I love her. We all do."

Casto only nodded and raced out the door. Sammy heard Casto transform as soon as he went past the side of the house.

This was a first for Sammy. He had the house to himself. Though it was unintentional, there was no babysitter to watch out for him, not that he needed one. He took one step when a slight pain began shooting along his calf. He groaned softly as he limped to the couch and lay down.

He quickly turned on the television and changed the channel to a newer news media outlet, Cocilio News Channel, in the Tokyo area. "With all that commotion that's going on, someone is sure to have called the police."

A dark-blond haired female looked into the camera and began reporting, "We'll be following that story about the small incident at the park, and will bring any further developments as they come in."

"Darn it!" he shouted to himself. "Always when the story is over."

He was about to turn it off when the anchor continued. "In other news, school violence seems to be at an all-time high. That is, if you take into consideration what one local construction worker called the most gruesome beating of a kid he has ever seen. He took a few pictures, and we want to warn our viewers that these pictures are disturbing."

The discretion warning usually meant "really cool" to Sammy, though he questioned to himself if they were really allowed to show the student's face in the picture, for more than one reason. However, the photos that were shown on the television shocked him, because it was a picture of...

"Melvin?"

"I feel for the kid," the worker said with a microphone pointed at his face. "I've never seen anything like that. Our tools were going full blast, which was probably why we didn't hear anything."

The anchor continued, "As to why no other school faculty was there to do anything about it?"

"The school was empty when it happened. We always come after the last kid or member leaves the school for safety reasons. Whoever did it must've known when to strike. None of my guys saw anyone still here."

"Bull," Sammy yelled at the screen. "No one in this city is that oblivious."

"Police, however, cite that despite this isolated incident, crime and school bully reports have dropped drastically in the past year, and their workforce has gone down significantly as a consequence. They are asking that anyone with information leading to the arrest of the people who assaulted this student to call the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The number is on the screen, and you don't have to leave your name."

After the female anchor was finished, Sammy hung his head. "Melvin? Who could've possibly hated him so much to do all that to him? And why did no one care?"

**-xXXXXx-**

"They are asking that anyone with information leading to the arrest of the people who assaulted this student to call the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The number is on the screen, and you don't have to leave your name."

A man in a plain white t-shirt and black slacks had muted the television and looked to his daughter, who could only watch in horror at what she saw following her remarks. The man's muscular frame wrinkled his shirt as he turned his recliner chair around slightly. "You know anything about that incident, Mai?"

"I...I don't think I do."

"You sure? You sound like there's something you know."

"Oh, no," she told her booming father. "I'm just disgusted at what I saw. Did Cocilio News have to show those pictures? Who was there to take them before sending him to the hospital, and how did that anchor just get away with showing that kid's face like she did?"

"You know kids these days. Anything to get attention, I guess. Cocilio News is popular for that, too. Maybe they believe they can get some leads by showing his face like that."

"Yeah," Mai said with a heavy sigh. "Anything for attention. I'm going upstairs for a moment." She didn't give him another chance to say anything before fleeing up the steps. A loud shut of the door could be heard.

"No one deserved that, though. Whoever did it, I hope the same thing happens to them."

However, once the door was shut and locked, Mai collapsed on her bed and cried out. "Why didn't you stop us, Mister Koa? Damn it, you just stood there while we messed him up!" She punched her bed several times as she cried even louder. "That worker is full of shit, too! Hell, no one in this damn city cares anymore. Where is the unity? Is this what Tokyo has become? Hell, is this what Japan has become because of all these lies being spread by those who should know better? They just believe a corrupt media station over their own family and friends? You could do something, father! I know you have some pull in this precinct. But you're just a damn tool for them to use! And we just...Melvin, I'm sorry! I'm..."

"Mai," she heard her father call out from behind the door. "Is something wrong? I can hear you screaming from down..."

She opened the door, and her father stared at the tears that were streaming down her face.

"Mai?"

"Dad, I deserve to be grounded for life! I just stood there, watching it until they almost killed him. If I hadn't stopped them, they would have."

He could only stand there with horror in his eyes, without a word.

"Dad, whatever you think of me now, I'm sorry. It wasn't something I wanted to do."

"You know you could've told me!"

"And nothing would've been done in this town."

"Yes, it would!"

"Like what, dad? No one cares that the police don't do shit here anymore, and they just stand there and let things happen. One of the teachers watched as my friends tried to kill him today. Dad, he enjoyed it. I know he did. I don't know how they couldn't hear him scream. No one wants to help anyone out anymore."

"Mai, you know that ain't true."

"But it is, dad! You used to tell me how tightly-knit this city was. Everyone knew everyone else, they all helped each other. But look at it now!"

"It's the same city."

"It's not the same people. Dad, I never thought I would say this, but I...I'm ashamed to be living here. And where is mom?"

"You know where she is!"

"Yeah, probably getting drunk off her ass with some floozy she just met."

"You don't know that!"

"Why do you keep defending them? You're a cop! You know what can get them going. You know what she's doing, yet that's all you can say to me? You know it isn't true. No reassurance, no authority, nothing! Same as this city."

"Mai," her father said.

"What?"

"Never mind." Her father turned around and walked back downstairs.

'_Can't even say that he loves me_.' She sighed deeply and turned towards the window as the setting sun shone brightly through it. '_You won't do anything, dad. But I'm sick of this. I'm going to see if he's okay. I'm ready to accept the punishment._' She walked down the steps, put on her boots, and headed out the door. There wasn't even an acknowledgment from her father that she had come downstairs, let alone left the house.

**-xXXXXx-**

Drillbit had seen Reenie returning to her feet, which was all he needed to charge in on her. However, she was able to see it and bounce backwards, kicking him in the chin on the way to her new perch.

"You little..." Drillbit growled. "Do you really think you can stop him from accomplishing anything by continuing to fight?"

Reenie only snarled at him before reaching for her brooch. "Moon! Prism! Power! Make up!" She donned her pink-laced attire and magical tools that made her into Sailor Mini Moon, although this transformation did not sit right with Rubeus, who had stood back up.

"Look at this! Even when she isn't ever going to win, she still fights!" He laughed. "She doesn't even know what's coming yet."

He pointed the gun at Reenie. Melissa didn't know what setting he had the cursed gun on, nor did she care. She raced over, flipped over him, and delivered a double-fisted punch to his temple. Though it made him stagger, he was still on his feet as Melissa grabbed his gun-carrying arm and twisted it, trying to disarm him. A faint feeling of nostalgia was felt as she tried to take that gun away from him.

"Oh, no! Not this time!" Rubeus shouted as he kicked Melissa in the gut before firing a beam from his free hand. Melissa reeled back and went down to one knee. However, not any sooner had he done so did Ikuko jump onto his back and try to strangle him. Rubeus flailed to get her off of him.

"Ikuko!" Melissa yelled. "Be careful!"

Drillbit saw the trouble Rubeus was in and took a step to try to help him. It was only a step because it was all he could do before Mini Moon clubbed him with her Pink Sugar Stick. It caught him in the rib, and it stunned him just enough for her to follow up with a drop toe hold that made him taste the grass below.

While Drillbit suddenly had his hands full with Mini Moon, Rubeus had an equal amount of problems as he continued to try to get Ikuko off of him. Melissa used the opportunity for a second attempt at confiscating the Hizrounswa Gun. However, Rubeus, in a desperate attempt, began firing the gun rapidly at anything it was aimed at. It made Melissa have to jump back, and it allowed him to reach back and finally flip Ikuko off of him after she was forced to weaken her hold.

"Damn fools," Rubeus snickered. "You really think you hold a candle over me with this weapon, huh? Too bad you have lost yet again. Time to die, bitches." He once again began to aim for the two women. Reenie saw it and started charging, only to have Drillbit grab her by his tool hand and throw her back into one of the buildings on the other side of the street. The charge of the gun was nearly complete, and he was ready to fire.

"Moon! Tiara! Magic!" The weapon hit Rubeus' wrist, cutting it slightly, though it also made him drop the gun.

"Like you can stop it!"

"You idiots don't know when to give up, do you?" He heard a male voice beckon from atop the same building he had shot.

"The Vulture Amateur and the Moon Bimbo! How nice of you to drop by!"

Sailor Moon jumped down and approached Rubeus slowly. "You keep doing it. You keep harming my mother, you keep harming my family, and I keep telling you not to or else."

"Or else what, Sailor Moon, huh? In case you didn't notice, you have only won the battles. You keep losing the war!"

"A war that you created, Rubeus!" Vulture shouted back as he also jumped down to join his sister. "And it's a war that you seem to think that we're going to just _let_ you win without..."

He was struck in the back suddenly. Drillbit had clubbed him with his tool wrench, making him collide with the ground.

"Bro!" Moon shouted.

"And how about this?" Drillbit screamed before turning the wrench into a drill. He pointed it right at Vulture's back, turning it on. "Good night, Vulture Amateur!"

Before Drillbit could get to Vulture's skin with the tip, however, Moon shoulder blocked him hard. It made Drillbit fly backwards, forcing him to jump back to his feet.

"I told you I would protect my big bro, with my life if I must!"

'_Big bro?_' Pandora wondered as she fought herself to not get involved, even though she was also questioning herself why she didn't yet. '_Princess Serena had a brother? I know how you feel to lose a family member for a long time, Serena. Must be tough._'

"Your life!" Rubeus said as he smirked, picking his gun back up and pointing it towards Serena while her back was turned. "Something you won't have for much longer!"

Melissa saw the trigger finger squeeze back, and raced towards him with all the speed she could muster. Rubeus saw her, however, and fired a beam at her leg. Though it didn't do much to her, it brought her to one knee, which would've been enough of a difference as he turned back towards Serena and began to squeeze the trigger again.

"Venus Crescent Beam! Smash!"

"Mars Celestial Fire! Surround!"

The beam hit Rubeus' wounded hand, making him drop the gun and lose a little blood. The fire did what Sailor Mars commanded it to do: surround Rubeus in a circle of flames.

"How did you...?"

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

"Shine Aqua Illusion!"

The lightning pack smacked Rubeus in the chest, making him fall to the ground as ice formed underneath him before he collided with the ground. The ice made him slip ever-so-close to the embers. He saw them while sweat drops formed on his brow from the heat. He scampered back once he saw how close he was, though he slid too far and almost collided with the flames on the other side. As slipped and slid to keep himself from becoming toast, the four Sailors jumped down from their respective perches, all smiling at the turn of events.

Mercury was the first to approach Ikuko as Melissa was able to get back to her feet to assist.

"Get out of here, Ikuko," Mercury ordered. "It's too dangerous!"

"I can't let my family be in any more danger," she answered.

"Sammy's safe at home, mom," Moon said.

"Mercury," Melissa asked, "can you watch her back for me?"

"I can take care of myself, Melissa," Ikuko scolded.

"There are at least two of them, and God knows how many more he's waiting to unleash on us!" '_I know of one more he may! You better not try anything, Pandora!_' "You'd be better off with someone else watching you while you get back!"

"I'll come, too," Jupiter said.

While the Sailors were determining their strategy, Rubeus silently waved Drillbit over. He turned his hand into a water pistol and douched the flames, allowing him to get back to his feet and jump off the ice brick. He made a beeline for the Hizrounswa Gun.

That is, until Mini Moon jumped up high from a rundown and kicked him square in the jaw. It made him stagger back as Mini stood her ground on top of the gun.

"Go ahead, Rubeus," Mini Moon shouted. "Try me!"

"You dumb ass brat!" Rubeus shouted. "You don't know what kind of powers I possess."

"Go, now!" Melissa ordered. Mercury and Jupiter both began to escort Ikuko out of the harm's way.

Drillbit looked to the three and then to Rubeus. "Rubeus, the broad is escaping with the two Sailors!"

"Hmph. Let her leave. She's got the message by now. I've got my prize right here."

Rubeus shot out two single beams, one from each hand, at Mini Moon. She was forced to jump to avoid them, the second passing right under the tips of her pink boots. He readied a third when Mini Moon charged him and kicked his wrist. He stopped his beam attack as a result, and Mini Moon went to sweep him.

However, Drillbit caught under her arm with his wrench and threw her over his shoulder. She collided hard with an oak tree and fell flat on her stomach. She lost her Pink Sugar Rod as she fell.

"Aww," Rubeus mocked. "Did the brat have a boo-boo, huh? Wanna cry about it? Or how about die for it?" He readied another beam as he walked backwards towards his gun.

However, standing right on top of it was Sailor Mars, who was smiling as he suddenly bumped into her. He turned around to meet a straight punch to his jaw, followed by Sailor Venus leapfrogging over her.

"Venus Love Chain! Encircle!"

The chain caught Rubeus' wrists, and Venus used it to drag him down to the ground. As she did so, Sailor Vulture raced towards the gun and retrieved it while his sister tended to Mini Moon.

He pointed the gun at Rubeus. "You know, punk? I don't think it's gonna be any good for you to keep losing this thing! At least everyone will know what it feels like."

"Put that down, Vulture Amateur!"

While Vulture, Mars, and Venus were subduing Rubeus, Melissa had fetched Mini Moon's rod and returned it to her as she and Moon helped up the Sailor trainee. "You all right, Reenie? You've been taking some hits."

"I'll be fine," Reenie said as she accepted her weapon back. "It's not like I haven't been beaten up before."

As Melissa's jaw dropped slightly, Sailor Moon kept one eye on Rubeus and the other on her future daughter. "What I wouldn't give to be my brother right now, holding that damn thing."

"Serena, don't say that," Mini Moon said as she was now able to stand on her feet without assistance. "You never thought of killing as the first option. I never knew my mother like that."

"She's right, Serena," Melissa added. "You have to control that. Not even when I attacked the Moon Kingdom did I ever see you become so enraged. Leave the anger to me and your brother."

"After what he's done to my life, I can't. So help me, it would pleasure me to see him bleed."

Reenie fired a blank stare at Serena. "It's better for him to be tortured and maimed. Not put out of his misery."

While they were debating, Vulture continued to hold the gun at Rubeus. However, just as he was about to fire a warning shot, he felt something hit his back. It made him fall on top of Rubeus. Before anyone else could react, he retrieved his gun and fired two straight shots that hit Venus and Mars. The two girls flew backwards, with their arms clenching their chests as they became incapacitated. He shoved Vulture off of him before firing a shot at his back.

"You forgot about me, did you, Vulture?" Drillbit snickered as he changed his anvil tool into a saw. "How about I kill you right now?" He fired up the saw blade and pointed it right at Casto.

"Oh, my God! He can't be serious!" Melissa gasped.

"Brother, _no_!" Moon yelped helplessly. She grabbed her Tiara. "Moon! Tiara! Magic!" The tiara struck Drillbit's arm, and it made him redirect the saw, but now it was pointed at the three woman group that was behind him.

"You dumbass!" Rubeus scolded. "You have any idea what you did? Now you made him mad!"

"Got some nerve, Serena!"

Melissa tried her stalactite move but the rock was cut through like butter by the blade as Drillbit stepped closer. "Damn it!"

"Sis, get out of there!" Vulture screamed through his pain.

"Shut up!" Rubeus shouted as he fired another shot at Vulture. His pain was now two-fold as he grunted loudly.

"What's the matter, girls?" Drillbit continued. "Scared stiff? I thought you would've run for your lives by now!"

"I don't run!" Moon growled. "Not anymore!"

"Mom?" Mini Moon said.

"Serena, with all due respect," Melissa added, "I don't think we should try to fight this man with the saw!"

Moon gripped her fists tightly, however, as she narrowed her eyes in a cold stare towards Drillbit. "C'mon, you damn brute. I don't care anymore. Do your worst to me!"

"You idiot!" Mars screamed. "Not now!"

While the scene was unfolding before her eyes, Pandora became increasingly restless. '_Melissa, you've been protecting those siblings like they were your own. How can someone so cold do something so brave and generous? How is it that you could never be like that towards...?_'

She suddenly heard a voice inside her head. "_'Pandora, it's too dangerous. You're a nervous wreck. You'll only get them killed faster.'_"

"_'They can't win without me, Queen Beryl. The Sailors are known for not being scared of death.'_"

"_'Your sisters chose to go and face them. I'm telling you that you'll only get in their way.'_"

"_'I want to get in their way, Beryl! They are the only ones I have left. If something were to happen to them...'_" Pandora could hear sobs echo in her mind.

"_'Pandora, I know how it feels to not be able to do anything to help your family.'_"

"_'Bullshit, Beryl! You don't know how this feels! You're sending them to die, and you could only stand there and let them, and be proud of some sick sacrifice!'_"

"_'You don't think it's tough for me, Pandora? If I didn't have a heart, I would've sent you, too._'"

"_'If this is you having a damn heart, I don't want to know what it is when you ignore it. Get out of my sight!'"_

She suddenly heard a small clap in her head, then her voice echoing again. "_'They...they're dead. The Queen is fighting Sailor Moon now. Darien's probably throwing her around like a rag doll. How can she possibly watch that? Hell...what has she become?'_"

The words sparked a small gasp out of her as she watched Drillbit go after the party with the saw. "No, that Beryl who sent my sisters to die wasn't the same Queen Beryl I used to know. What I'm seeing now. _This_ is the Queen Beryl I used to know. I get why you didn't send me now, Beryl. Same reason you want Sailor Moon to run now. You couldn't save them, but you could still save me." She stood straight while on the bridge and narrowed her eyes at Rubeus.

**-xXXXXx-**

Ikuko had been escorted back to her home by Jupiter and Mercury, though when she returned to the front door, she was anything but happy about it.

"Serena! Reenie! They're still there fighting Rubeus and whatever that thing is!" she said hysterically.

"She'll be fine, Ikuko," Mercury assured her. "You should know by now."

"She's still my daughter, though, Amy. I don't want to see anything happen to her because of this other life."

"None of us want to see her hurt, either, Ikuko," Jupiter added. "She's a tough one. She doesn't look like it at the surface, and that's what makes her even more dangerous. Besides, she probably learned it from you. I didn't know you had those moves on you."

"I didn't want to neglect Sammy again. I may get bloodied up because of it, but as long as my family is safe, I'll protect them with my life."

Jupiter nodded. "But if you did what you told us you did, then maybe you won't be the pushover that Rubeus thought you were."

"Lita, we should get back," Mercury said. "They need us!"

Lita nodded again, this time at Mercury, before continuing towards Ikuko. "If you want, I can teach you some more moves. You'll be unbeatable then."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ikuko smiled. "Please, keep Serena safe...and sane."

"Safe will be the easy part, I'm afraid," Lita sighed.

"You did good, Ikuko. We're all proud of your bravery." Mercury ran off with Jupiter.

'_Thank you, Amy and Lita. Serena has some good friends. I'm glad I got to know everything about them. I know she'll be all right._'

"Mom?" she heard Sammy's voice behind her. She turned to see him right at the door frame.

"Sammy," she cheered with sparkles in her eyes. "Thank God!" She ran to hug him. This time, however, he didn't reject it.

"Mom, did he hurt you?"

"No, he didn't, and even if he did, it wouldn't matter to me. All that matters is that you're safe."

"Serena is still..."

"Serena is the future of this world, Sammy. We have to remember that."

"I know, but still, we're helping her get there. I don't feel as though we're doing enough to help her."

Ikuko sighed deeply. "It'll be okay, Sammy. I don't know if there's much we _can_ do that we haven't done yet."

"Maybe helping her other friends?"

"What do you mean?"

**-xXXXXx-**

She huffed and heaved as she sprinted across streets and on sidewalks. She feared the worst, though she knew that when she got there, an entourage of people she would rather not admit her crimes to would be there protecting the one person she hoped was conscious...no, still alive.

When she finally got to the hospital, she saw police officers there, talking to various people. No, she was mistaken. Her eyes deceived her. It was just one police car, and one officer.

"There should be more than that, shouldn't there?" Mai said to herself as she raced through the door without any repression.

"What's wrong, ma'am?" a clerk at the front desk asked Mai, who didn't answer. "Ma'am?"

"Melvin? Is he in here?"

"Melvin Gurio? The kid who was admitted into the E.R.?"

"Where is he?" she yelled.

"He's getting treatment now. I'm sorry, ma'am, but you can't see him right now."

"Is he okay?"

"I don't know, ma'am. He looked like hell when they brought him..."

"Why didn't you do anything about it?" they heard a male voice scream from outside. Mai motioned the clerk to stay as she ran outside.

Melvin's father was the man who was hollering at the lone, pudgy cop. "They were trying to kill him, and you didn't even show up!"

"We never got a call," the hoarse officer answered. "We can't do anything if we don't know it's going on."

"That's a bunch of bull and you know it, officer," Mister Gurio continued. "This community is better than that."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't lie to you. No one got any calls."

"They should have, though," Mai blurted out.

Mister Gurio turned around to see the purple-haired girl standing tall. "What's that?"

"My friends were the ones responsible for Melvin being here."

The admittance made Gurio snarl at her. "You did this?"

"No, I didn't touch him. I witnessed it, though. I was in the group that did it."

Gurio grabbed Mai's collar and pulled her close to him, her toes the only part of her body still touching the sidewalk. "I should kill you right now, you bitch!"

"Mister, calm down!" The officer tried to pull Gurio off of Mai, though also trying to not force him to for safety's sake.

"Let me go!" Mai ordered as she gagged.

"That's _my_ son in there, scared that he's gonna die! It's _your _fault he's in the emergency..."

"Get a hold of yourself! He would be dead if it wasn't for me."

Gurio tugged harder on Mai. "You lie!"

"I deserve this. I should've stopped them sooner." She coughed violently. "I came to see if he was all right."

"You have _no right_ to see him!"

"I said let_ go_ of me!" Mai shoved Gurio off of her and readjusted her collar.

"You just said you deserved it!"

"I didn't say I particularly liked being threatened like that! I can't change what I did. I swear, though, I never laid a finger on him. My friends were like monsters."

"How many?"

"Including me, five of them."

"So...if you're telling the truth...four of them all beating up on him?"

"It was Yumee's idea, and everyone else went with it. I tried to get them to think twice, but..."

"Yumee?" Gurio gasped. "Yumee Machino?"

"Yeah! Some friends _I_ have, right?"

"H-He's threatened Melvin before in elementary school. You didn't remember that?"

"I kind of inherited him as a friend from my other friend, Mokoto Nagi. She's had a crush on him for a while. I don't know what she sees in him."

"Ma'am," the officer intervened, "do you mind if I put this on record? If you don't, it will more than likely keep you out of any trouble. I don't blame you for being hesitant if it was so many committing this act."

Gurio turned to the officer. "But she should've still..."

"I believe her, sir. She said she did try to talk them out of it, but they wouldn't listen."

"Ever since she got involved with Yumee, Mokoto has turned into someone else. I've disliked her attitude more and more, but I stayed with her. I hoped she would change back to who I used to love, but this took it too far. Please, if anything happens to her, go easy on her. She's being brainwashed by that man."

"I don't know if I can."

"Why, though?" Gurio asked. "She was with him."

"She isn't thinking clearly. Consider this _my_ wake up call. Mister, I beg you to forgive me for my lack of action."

Gurio hung his head. "I guess you're right. You tried, and you do sound sincere. I don't know if I could handle those odds myself."

"Sir," Mai continued, looking at the officer, "if I may ask, are you sure you never got any calls about it? I saw it on the news today." '_Though in the irresponsible way I expected._'

"You did?" Gurio gasped.

"Yes, and the lady even said that the police were investigating it."

Gurio only narrowed his eyes at the officer. "Is this true?"

"Must've been after I got the call about it from the construction worker at the school. He said he called the paramedics before calling me. I checked and they said they didn't get any calls about it. He must've called them after. I didn't hear anything on the radio about it, so I assumed that no one called it in."

"No patrols or anything?" Mai asked.

"We had to cut back, remember. This chief is all about letting these Sailor girls fight the crimes for them. I swear, whatever the Sailors are fighting, they should see if the chief is one in disguise or something."

"They can't do _everything_!"

"Try telling _him_ that! Trust me, I've already told him. I can't do it all."

"My dad's a cop, and he is so oblivious to anything going on in the force. And to think that I wanted to join up, too, when I get old enough."

"It pains me, too, that this is happening. The community is usually really good here. I'm very surprised no one has said anything by now."

"Maybe because the media is lying to them that everything is under control, and that they can't do anything about it. Either that or they are lying about the Sailors being the only option they have." Mai bit her tongue to stop herself from mentioning the other stunt Cocilio News pulled about the case. '_The way Mister Gurio is right now, that's the last thing he needs to hear about._'

"Yeah, they've been lazy about checking up on anything. I would love for them to interview me. I'll tell them some things..."

"Mister Gurio," they heard Doctor Mesta call out to them from the door. "Doctor Tovi said your son will be fine, but he's going to have to stay here for a few days. He got messed up pretty bad, but he's conscious now."

"Thank God!" Mai cried.

"At least that's a heavy burden off your shoulders, Mai," the officer said. "That means it would only be assault they would be charged with, not murder."

"Mister Gurio," Mai continued, "I know I wasn't the best at trying to stop them, and I know what you said earlier, but it would make me feel better if I could at least tell him how sorry I am for what happened."

Gurio nodded slightly. "I guess it wouldn't hurt. But I'm going to come with you and watch you. I don't want to take any chances."

"That's understandable," Mai said. "And yes, I am truly sorry for what happened. So help me, I'm going to try my damnedest to make things right."

No other words were exchanged as she and Gurio entered the hospital.

**-xXXXXx-**

Drillbit was still approaching Sailors Moon, Mini Moon, and Melissa with the rotating saw blade weapon he had pointed at them.

"Serena!" Melissa panicked. "As much as I want to kill him, I have no intentions of becoming a diced queen."

"More like loser shish-kabob," Drillbit mocked as he reared back the tool hand.

"Go ahead, Drillbit! Do your worst! I got the other Sailors right here!" Rubeus fired the level three wave weapon at Vulture, Mars, and Venus, making them grit their teeth and growl at their suffering.

"Sis, get away from him! C'mon!" Vulture ordered.

Drillbit was ready, and Moon was not moving, even when Melissa had carried Mini Moon a few feet back. Moon did not move even an inch, though her hand was behind her, as if she had something in mind.

He was about to strike when he felt his hand being whipped hard. The saw dissipated, and he growled as he looked back along with Rubeus, who had also stopped firing the Hizrounswa Gun's wave attack.

"No," Drillbit sneered. "That strike! It was from a tentacle! It couldn't possibly...!"

"My fight was with Melissa," they all heard a bold female voice proclaim. "Or so I thought."

"Pandora?" Rubeus growled. "It couldn't be."

The figure jumped down off of the overpass, revealing herself to be the Youma who had attacked Melissa earlier that day. The pale yellow skin, blue hair, green eyes, tall stature, and large wings only confirmed it.

Sailor Moon gasped at the sight of her, as well. "She looks like...one of those Youmas we fought on the way to D-Point to face you a year ago, Melissa."

"She's the sixth DD Girl, Pandora. Those others were her sisters. She blamed me for not caring about them being sent to what was a death sentence."

As Melissa talked, Tuxedo Mask ran up behind Moon. "Serena, are you all right?"

"Yes, but why didn't you come here sooner?"

"I was about to fire my rose, but I saw Pandora aiming for Drillbit, so I decided to just let her do the last-minute save this time."

"You traitor!" Drillbit screamed. "You have any idea what in the hell you've done?"

"Yes, I do," Pandora answered. "I know I'm not going to be viewed as Metaria's favorite person, but I hated the wrong person. I know now Melissa tried to do what she could. It was Metaria who didn't care about my wishes or my feelings. Seeing Sailor Moon and Vulture protect each other now, and seeing Melissa do what she can to help them, showed me how much she really cares."

"Oh, c'mon," Rubeus snarled. "First Queen Bitch, and now Pandora betrays the kingdom that can break you just as fast as they made you."

"Metaria did not make me, Rubeus! She just gave you free passes to use that Hizrounswa, something I wouldn't give you at all. That thing scares me."

"Yes," Rubeus snickered. "You should fear the Hizrounswa. Do you realize what kind of godlike powers this thing possesses? More than anyone could comprehend."

While Rubeus continued to talk, Moon got her Moon Scepter ready. "Keep bragging, Rubeus."

"And you nearly got a taste of it. Twice!" Pandora laughed slightly. "Did you not think I saw everything?"

"Well, I think you have also seen what Metaria wants me to do to traitors, which I would be more than happy to follow..."

"Moon! Scepter! Elimination!"

Rubeus had no time to react, and he was hit hard off of his feet. He saw his gun slide out of his hand, but he quickly recovered it as he made a back flip to return to his base.

"You hit someone from behind, Sailor Moon!" he growled. "Neo-Queen Serenity never did anything like that."

"She never had to put up with a douchebag like you, either, Rubeus!" Vulture yelled back.

"Pandora," Melissa said, "why are you...?"

"Melissa," Pandora answered, "I forgive you!"

"Spare me the shitty melodrama, Pandora!" Drillbit ordered as his hand became a wrench. He tried to catch her as he had Casto and Reenie. However, Pandora captured the wrench with her tentacles and threw him to the ground as she jumped high over him.

"Big mistake, Pandora," Rubeus smiled as he aimed his gun.

"Venus Crescent Beam! Smash!"

Rubeus sidestepped out of the way of the beam, though his attention was diverted to Venus. He fired two straight shots at the Orange Sailor. Venus flipped forwards over them and slid into his knees.

"Venus Love Chain! En..."

A toehold by Rubeus sent Venus crashing down, and he fired a round into her back. Thankfully for her, her attack made the level drop to one.

"Damn it!" Rubeus snorted.

"Moon Tiara Magic!" Rubeus suddenly heard as Sailor Moon's weapon was aimed right for his. He swatted the magical tool out of the air.

Meanwhile, Drillbit returned to his feet and fired a few shots of magical saw blade bullets at Pandora. One of these cut into a tentacle, though she wasn't fazed from the hit.

"Drillbit, stop this," Pandora pleaded. "She's using us. She's playing with our minds and our hearts."

"You're no Youma! Youma show no emotion other than the pleasure of seeing torment and destruction! You showed emotion for your sisters!"

"Why is that a crime?" Pandora fired a yellow beam at Drillbit, who knocked it away with his saw.

"You should know the answer to that, Pandora!" Drillbit swung at Pandora with his saw blade. She had to jump backwards repeatedly to keep him away.

"You would turn on your own kind, after all the hell we've been through?"

"Listen to you!" Drillbit swatted hard at her. It connected, though her tough skin protected her and only lacerated her forearm. "Every one of us was glad to see that bitch Beryl go! You know you were!"

"You've never had any family of yours die! You've never felt what that's like!"

"If you cared so damn much, why didn't you go die with them?"

Pandora's tentacles caught him and began to squeeze his throat. "You dare question my love for my family?"

"You never showed it until that day!" Drillbit said through his choking. Pandora growled and raised him into the air.

"Shut up, Drillbit! You don't know anything about love! _Nothing_!"

"But he isn't as stupid as you are, either, Pandora!" Rubeus yelled as he fired a Hizrounswa shot through Pandora's tentacles. It freed Drillbit, and sent an internal shockwave through her body, making her fall to one knee.

"_Pandora_!" Melissa screeched as she saw Rubeus aim at the rogue Youma with his gun. She charged towards him with heavy pants while raising her hands. "Shadow Wave!"

"The hell...?"

"Strike!"

The wave hit him immediately, though Melissa never let him fall as she caught him by his collar. He grinned as he saw Melissa ready a small black stalactite in her other hand. "What? You're too much of a coward to kill me?"

"I don't have to worry about her doing anything to me now!"

Drillbit fired a saw blade bullet at her back. Though Melissa felt it coming and ducked underneath, it made her let go of Rubeus. He jumped sideways to get out of the way of the blast as the saw hit a tree branch and sent it crashing down.

"Oh, crap!" Vulture yelped as he heard the branch break off. "Vulture Shield!" The shadow wings held the branch in the air, though he was struggling with his power to keep it there.

Sailor Moon saw her brother losing his battle with the branch. She noticed how big it was, and that it had the chance to crush him if he failed to keep his shield up. "Bro!"

"Don't worry, Serena! I can...still..." The shield's visibility began to flicker in and out. It was only a matter of time before it collapsed on him.

"The hell you can!" Mars yelled. "Mars! Fire! Ignite!" The fire started burning the branch somewhat, so that if it were to fall Vulture wouldn't be harmed. However, it would still make him useless.

Tuxedo Mask, however, fired a series of roses at the middle of the burning branch. It made the tree piece break and fall to both sides of Vulture. The shield gave way just as Mask had saved him. Casto fell flat on his face, nearly unconscious.

"_Casto_!" Moon cried as she and Mask rushed to help Vulture. Mars was already there as she jumped over the branch piece and helped the other two try to revive their fallen comrade.

Melissa also saw Casto's plight, but she was trying to help Venus battle Drillbit, and the combined swipes at them with the saw and the wrench were more than enough to keep their hands full. Venus kept jumping all around the Youma, while Melissa used her roughhousing to keep him from doing too much to them. Though her attempts did not come without bruises, it was nothing that she hadn't experienced before.

However, that kept all of the other fighters busy and unable to help the recovered Pandora, who eyed Rubeus evilly following his shot at her. She returned to her feet, fluttered towards him and kicked him mid-flight. As Rubeus reeled from the kick, she picked him up and buzzed him into a tree trunk, kneeing him repeatedly while keeping him airborne. She finally wrapped a tentacle around his throat and threw him behind her. As he collided with the ground, she fired two yellow beams into his back.

"I don't know where you came from, Rubeus," she growled, "but you need to go back there. This place is not for you, and we will not let you come into the Dark Kingdom and tell us what to do. You will never, _ever_, be _my_ king."

As Rubeus lifted himself up, he looked back towards his enemy. "Oh no, I'm not going to let you have the pleasure of serving me. Hell, at this point, you're not even worthy of licking the dirt off my boots."

"I wouldn't ever want to. There's only one person I would ever do anything like that for, and that's the woman who stayed tough on me even when she knew it was the unpopular choice."

"Have it your way! Name's Pandora, right? It fits, because you just opened Pandora's _Box_!" He fired shot after shot from his gun, forcing Pandora to dance around each one. She flipped over him, did a handspring off his shoulders and kicked him in the ribs.

Melissa heard what Pandora said and smiled, though it was just enough of a distraction for Drillbit to take his wrench weapon and club her with it before tossing her over towards the other Sailors. Venus tried to fire a Crescent Beam, but the same fate struck her before she was able to act. The sudden resurgence made Venus and Melissa need the aid of the returning Mercury and Jupiter.

The aid needed was minimal, though it kept them from being able to help in the fight. Pandora's next kick got blocked by Rubeus, who fired a double shot beam into her gut. It sent her back quite a few steps, near the center fountain. Pandora did not think much of it, and took heavy breaths as she trained her eyes on her rival while wiping a small bit of blood from her lip.

However, Pandora could not sense that Drillbit was behind her, and was sneaking near her with his power drill weapon.

"Queen Metaria would've been impressed," Rubeus said as he saw Drillbit. "You're quite the opponent. I wish I had picked you before you became a traitor."

"Even if I hated this Earth, I would never help you. I thought I just told you that!"

"But Metaria would've been different. I can't change what you think of me, but Metaria is someone you know is going to need some help in breaking free from her prison."

"You really think I care about that egg?"

"You talk about the Queen that way?"

"She's no queen of mine."

"But she's _ours_!"she heard Drillbit scream behind her.

Before she could even blink at the sudden breath on the back of her neck, she felt a sharp pain in her back, and she immediately let out a horrific scream as the tool responsible began to rotate inside her body. She felt her feet leave the ground, though she could not move, and as her back arched slightly, she saw what caused the pain: Drillbit. The drill was making her entire body spark purple bolts as it twisted into her, and it poked out the other side. There was no blood, but the magic within her body reacted to his magic, and she could feel it killing her.

As she continued to scream—and as the Sailors watched with sheer horror—Rubeus approached the incapacitated and dying Pandora. "You know," he snickered, "it's funny, in a way. You could've done so much for us. You could've been the saving grace for Metaria. Instead, you became just like these humans. You become weak, caring about some worthless sisters whose last act was killing themselves for your worthless Queen Beryl!"

"You coward!" Pandora screeched.

"No, I'm just smart." He adjusted the Hizrounswa Gun's level and smiled as he pointed it at her heart. "I've wanted to know how level six looks like when someone is hit by it. Don't worry! Drillbit is safe, but you are not. You say you love your sisters, right?"

"Always will, you sick psycho!"

"Then I'll let you do the one thing you've always wanted to do: to see them again...in _Hell_!"

His finger coiled back, and the shot was as accurate as any shot could've been. Pandora's entire body emitted smoke before a huge ball of purple flame engulfed her. Her soul dissipated in a supernova-like flash. Within seconds, her entire being was gone. Drillbit retracted his drill arm before cackling.

Melissa rose to her feet and clenched her fists. Rubeus could hear her soles crunching the dead leaves as he eyed her. "And you will be next, Queen Bitch!"

"Even at my worst," Melissa trembled, "I never stabbed anyone in the back like that! I never did anything like that to Zoy or to Jedite! They knew my wrath, as much as it pained me to have to do it!"

"Bull, Melissa," Rubeus laughed. "You were the first one to be..."

Melissa's eyes flashed red, and Rubeus knew of only one other time her eyes had gotten like that: in the stories he was told of by the Doom Phantom about her final battle with Sailor Moon.

"Drillbit," Rubeus said, "retreat for now! I think the message was sent!"

"What about...?"

"This may actually work out in our favor! Trust me, I know what I'm doing!" He disappeared, with Drillbit following without question.

Melissa's eyes ceased flickering as she approached the fountain. There was not even a trace of Pandora to be found, though she searched everywhere. "Pandora? Please, tell me he didn't...! Oh, my God!" She fell to her knees, tears falling on them and splattering on the pathway. As the Sailors recovered from their own turmoil, they raced to help her.

"That psychotic son of a bitch," Jupiter said. "You're right, Melissa! You never did anything like that!"

"Yes, I was cruel to them! Yes, I was a bitch to them! But I was never inhuman!" As she rose, she swung around, eying the buildings. Other than them and the usual nocturnal insects, the park was barren of life. "What the hell?"

"What's wrong, Melissa?" Moon asked.

"That was the biggest light show anyone would ever see, and no one is even the least bit curious."

Tuxedo Mask looked around to see the same thing. "No police here, either."

Melissa paced towards one of the bridge's foundation pillars and punched it hard. "Doesn't anyone care anymore? This damn city just had a murder in it, and they could care less! Are we the only ones who give a shit?"

As Mercury felt her own tears of both sadness and fear, she put a hand on Melissa's shoulder. She could not find any words to say to her, however.

"Melissa," Darien spoke softly, "there's something going on with the police. They haven't..."

"No shit!" Melissa growled. "Something I've never seen when in the Dark Kingdom is the police, and this city, be so uncaring about anyone else!"

"It's going to do no good talking about it here," Casto interrupted. "Let's get back to the Shrine. At least there, we can talk about where to go from here. That is, if you're okay with it, Sailor Mars!"

She answered with a nod. "It'll be fine. I've decided to at least try."

With Melissa's heavy heart, they all retreated.

**-xXXXXx-**

When the Sailors entered the Shrine, Melissa was quick to dump her shoes off and race into a secluded room. The others stopped outside as they saw her sudden act.

"Poor Melissa," Mina cried. "She's really taking this hard."

"I don't blame her," Serena answered. "That Pandora Youma wasn't like the others we've seen."

"Melissa was correct," Darien added as the others turned to him. "Pandora was the name of the sixth Youma of that group. She was not like the others in that she had a conscious and tried to get her sisters to refuse to go out to face you at D-Point that day."

"So Pandora was..." Mars began

"I guess she blamed Melissa for her sisters' deaths, but when she heard the truth, she changed her mind."

"And Rubeus and Drillbit..." Casto trembled.

"Yeah. That was painful to see."

"Level six does stuff like that," Lita quivered. "That was scary to even hear of, let alone watch. And we couldn't do anything about it."

"We probably could, but..."

"We've never seen anything like that before," Serena said. "He said he wanted to know what level six does. I guess he knows now."

"Scariest thing is that it looked like he loved every second of it."

"He needs to be stopped! Pandora was right. That Hizrounswa is a weapon of mass destruction that has no limits to what it can do."

"Hey, Serena," they heard Luna call out. She padded down the steps with Artemis at her side. "What happened?"

"We saw level six of the Hizrounswa being fired at one of their own Youma!"

"My lord!"

"And Rubeus loved it!" Darien added.

"Why is Melissa here?" Artemis asked.

"We elected to come back here to plan our next move," Casto answered, "but Melissa rushed in and we all heard a door inside slam. I guess she's in no mood to talk right now."

**-xXXXXx-**

Melissa slunk into a corner across from the door of an empty room in the back of the Shrine. She guessed this was a guest room of sorts. However, as the moonlight shone through the window, she could care less. She buried her head into her knees and clawed them with her hands. She could feel herself draw her own blood as she continued to vice her knees.

A minute later, she heard the sliding door shift open. Her watery eyes peered at who would dare come in to bother her right now. It was a face that comforted her. "G-Gramps!"

"You woke me, girl!" Grandpa said. "I never heard anyone run in here like that before. What happened?"

"Gramps, how often do you guys get visitors here?"

"Not as often anymore. I wish we did."

Melissa teeth clenched as she gripped her knees tighter. "One of my friends was killed by the same sickos that were trying to attack this Shrine the other day. Her death was horrific, and you could hear her scream a mile away. And yet, it felt as if the entire city was under some sleep spell. No police, no community watch, no one to even know that anything happened."

Grandpa hung his head. "Yes, I've noticed that, too. And I think I know why they've stopped caring."

"Huh?"

"Did your friends tell you about the time when this huge crystal thing appeared in the center of the city last summer?"

"I don't think..." Melissa said.

Grandpa could hear the confusion in her voice. At least he got her mind off of whatever was making her cry. "This huge black crystal thing appeared. Was as big as a skyscraper, and was filling the city with darkness. The Sailors were able to defeat whatever was causing it. However, a few days after, someone on the news said something about not having to worry about the police because the Sailors would be able to overcome it."

"Wait," Melissa said as her eyes widened. "Since they are the ones who will fight things like that, they expect them to do everything else?"

"It wasn't a popular opinion at first, but we saw a sharp drop in the crime rate. I know it sounds impossible for such huge actions to take place within such a short amount of time, and I'm not sure how it spread so quickly, but it became with the public either hating the police, or just not caring because no one else would do anything."

"I see. Why should they care if their neighbor or the people who are paid to do the job don't?"

"Exactly. You see, the community is in fact there, but, it's like..."

"...like they're on strike." As Grandpa nodded, Melissa let out a heavy sigh. "Unbelievable! They know something needs to be done, but until someone else acts, they won't, and that someone else will only act until the first person does."

"Thus, you get the standstill you see now. It just blew up. I'm not surprised that you didn't see anyone checking what some fireworks display was."

"It wasn't just some firewor..."

"I know, but that's how they feel about it."

"Why can't you say anything? You waited this long to say anything to anyone!"

"Because," Grandpa sulked, "I'm guilty of believing the same thing. If no one is going to come to this Shrine, why should I bother keeping it up?"

Melissa shot up angrily. "Because, Gramps, you have a granddaughter out there that you need to set an example for. She needs you, and she needs the teachings you've given her."

"You'd...say that for her, even when she doesn't like you?"

"We've talked, and even if we didn't, that doesn't excuse you, Gramps! You need to be there for her. She still cares. She wouldn't be going out there and risking her goddamn life as a Sailor if she didn't! And I wouldn't have come here to make some sense of my demons if I didn't care. What I saw scared me to death, and I want that thing out of my life. I need you to help me do that, and she needs you to be there for her when she needs guidance."

She started to make her way out of the room when Grandpa answered, "Melissa, where are you going? You looked like you didn't want to be bothered when I came in here."

Melissa stopped on a dime. "I'm gonna find out why the kindness that I've heard about the people of Earth is conditional now!" She exited the room without another word.

A few minutes passed, and the gang outside was still discussing their options when they heard Melissa come out of the Shrine. They all stopped talking and looked to her with concern.

Serena was the first one to break the ice. "You gonna be okay, Melissa?"

"I won't ever forgive Rubeus for what he did to Pandora, or for the way he murdered her." She walked past the group, halting near Casto. "Cas, I heard you needed to ask me something."

"I don't know if you would want to hear it now," he answered. "Right now we need to..."

"Casto, I know you want to focus on Rubeus, but what I heard just now, and what else I saw, make me believe that something needs to be done."

"Well," Casto sighed. "If you must know, there is this teacher that I think you've heard about back at Molly's place. He's..."

"Mister Harold Koa?"

"Yeah!"

"I had a run-in with him earlier today, and then I was told about him by someone who served him lunch. I sensed something evil about him, and I didn't like it."

"Well, I was wondering if it would be possible to ask you to help us..."

"You mean you want to use my hearing to find out what he's really up to?" Casto nodded. "Yes, I'll do what I can! I'm tired of these people not doing anything about what goes on around them. No one should need payment to help someone else out! Get some sleep, though. I'll meet you tomorrow, Casto."

"Thank you, Melissa."

"Not a problem at all!" Melissa answered as she pumped a fist in front of her before walking away.

"You sure you can trust her to...?"

"Oh, c'mon, Luna," Casto scolded. "Raye's trying to make it work. Why can't you?"

"Well, I..."

"Serena," Grandpa called out from the door.

"Huh?"

"It's your mother. She's trying to find you. She said it's about your friend Melvin. I think someone beat him up pretty bad."

Casto's eyes shot open like a rocket. "_Who was it_?"

**-xXXXXx-**

"Leading off the top story tonight," said a female anchor at a desk on Miss Haruna's television screen, "police are confident that they have everything under control about an incident at the central park today. They say that it was a power line that was causing the flashes of light. The cut power line caused several people to be without power, which they said probably led to the lack of call about the incident. One call, however, was adamant that it was a cover up story to hide a more sinister issue, according to police. They said it was an urban myth of monsters and the Sailor Soldiers. Police assure everyone that there is nothing to fear, and to let them and the Sailors keep the streets safe."

"Yeah, right, chief," Patricia said before clenching her ribs slightly. Luckily, her pain earlier in the day was the worst that it had gotten, as everything else only made her jolt and clench like she just had. "Tell that to the citizens who have to put up with you."

"In other news, the teenage male who was allegedly assaulted behind the Juuban Junior High School has been identified. Earlier today, we told you about a fifteen year old male who was found by one of the construction workers who said that the volume of the tools prevented them from knowing that the incident was taking place. We are going to show you the photos again, and once more, we will warn you, these are highly graphic and disturbing images that the worker took to give to the police."

"They're allowed to do that?"

"The student was..."

Patricia didn't need the anchor to know who she had seen in the photos they showed. However, she gasped the second she found out.

"Oh, my God! _Melvin_?"

**-xXXXXx-**

"The student was Melvin Gurio, an honor student who some students are now saying was targeted in what they are calling a hate crime, although the police do not suspect prejudice to be the motive in this case. We will keep you..."

That's the furthest Mai could watch the news on the lounge television before getting up and turning it off. She felt that she was obligated to stay at the hospital to atone for her sins, though she knew she had to go to school tomorrow. She contemplated not going.

"First they shower the police with praise," she said to herself, "then show the kid's face without any care, and now they just blurt out the name? All without reprimand from anyone? Yeah, some responsibility _you_ show, Cocilio! The Sailors have everything under control? Sure! No one thought that until she started that damn channel. New rule: those that hold public office should never have friends in the news business."

She reached down and took off her boots before crawling on one of the couches. She was ready to fall asleep when she heard someone come in. She closed her eyes, though she decided to be curious.

"Be careful now, Melvin," she heard a mid-tone male say.

"I'll be fine," she heard Melvin answer. She could not help but let out a small smile to hear his voice.

"You always wake up in the middle of the night for a snack?"

"It's a tradition for me. Especially now that I've got these stitches in my head. They make me look ugly."

"You should've seen what you looked like when they carted you in. You're lucky to be alive right now, in my opinion."

The sounds of footsteps were the only sounds she heard for the next few seconds. Some ruffling and tearing of packages followed.

"I can't afford to be only lucky the next time," she heard Melvin say.

"What do you mean?" the doctor asked.

"I don't want to be bullied anymore. It's time I fought back. I've tried to not need to, but I can't just let things happen to me like that, or else they will kill me."

'_Melvin,_' Mai thought as she kept her eyes closed, '_please don't become like any of us. Don't think you have to._'

"When I get released, I'm going to go to one of my friends to see what he knows about fighting."

"But Mel," the doctor answered, "your stitches! I don't know if they will hold or not if you do that, especially when they got them in there as quickly as they did!"

What Mai heard from Melvin next worried her, in more ways than one: "Next time, it'll be either them or me, and I won't quit until I'm dead!"

* * *

I'll have a few more chapters left of War Games before I go into the next part of the Silver Project Saga, which I already have a name for (just don't want to give anything away yet). Hopefully, you liked this chapter.

Good night and good luck.


	14. Road Rage

WAR GAMES  
CHAPTER 14  
Road Rage

Written by Darkpower  
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)

* * *

Drillbit and Rubeus transported themselves back to the Dark Kingdom, inside the Black Sphere room.

"Why are we back here?" Drillbit asked with a hint of anger in his voice. "We could've gotten rid of the Sailors and Queen Bitch right then and there!"

"Calm down, Drill," Rubeus ordered. "You know what Metaria wants, and Metaria will not be happy if you lose your cool and do something that is not in her interests. Besides, I think I saw something that could be of some use for us."

Drillbit could not maintain his composure. "You said that before, but you didn't say what!"

"You really think I was going to reveal it to them?"

Drillbit finally calmed down. "Yeah, true!"

"I've only heard about Beryl flashing her eyes on one other occasion, which was when Serena successfully freed her precious Prince Darien from Beryl's manipulation. She was so pissed off then, and she was just as pissed when we offed Pandora."

"It was an honor to put that failure out of her misery, by the way."

"I agree. However, I realized that Beryl could actually be at a point where she can no longer control some of her actions. When the corruption she has inside of her takes over completely."

"Ah! You mean the one thing all living beings possess?"

"Yes! Some choose to embrace it, some choose to accept it, and some choose to fight it. But it's there, no matter how much one tries to deny it. The thing is, some people can control how it affects them, sometimes better than others can. You've seen the crimes these humans commit against each other, right?"

"I've noticed that the people of Juuban have ceased to help their police department, and vice versa."

"That's a form of corruption. There are all types, some of which have yet to be discovered. Queen Beryl had a form of corruption that came from anger towards us because of what we did to Pandora. It's a revenge mechanism type of corruption."

"And you think that if she displays enough of it, she will be powerless to stop us from killing that Reenie girl."

Rubeus let out a wide smirk. "Exactly! We have to do something else to push her to her limit, and then we keep her occupied while Reenie is there. After that, she will be in a state of shock, which will allow Metaria to absorb her energy and be set free."

"But we would have to get her to return to her Dark Kingdom throne, right?"

"Don't worry! Once she sees that she cannot change anything by joining the other side, she will do that on her own. Trust me, she will!"

**-xXXXXx-**

The words that Mai heard Melvin say while she was trying to sleep on the couch of the hospital lounge horrified her: "Next time, it'll be either them or me, and I won't quit until I'm dead!"

'_Melvin, please don't,_' she thought to herself after she heard that. She covered her entire body with the blanket.

"You shouldn't be saying that," she heard the male doctor assisting Melvin say. "You know more than anything that your father won't want you fighting now, especially after what you went through."

"I don't care anymore," Melvin answered. "I've been beaten up too many times now, and I'm tired of not being able to do anything about it."

"It was five on one, though, Mel. How do you think one person could be able to overcome such odds?"

That line from the doctor angered Mai, and it was more than enough for her to suddenly shoot to her feet. "No! It was four on two!"

Melvin took a step back as he eyed the tall, purple-haired girl. "You're...one of them!"

"_Was_ one of them, Melvin," she answered. "I'm not going to hurt you. In fact, I hated having to watch it."

"But you were with them when..."

"Like I said, Mel, I tried to get them to stop, but Yumee insisted on assaulting you, and his friends have been brainwashed. I tried to keep out of it because I thought I was going to be next if I showed any opposition, but I couldn't take it anymore. They would've killed you without thinking twice if I hadn't done anything."

"And you want a medal for it, miss?" the doctor mocked.

"Hold on, doc," Melvin ordered before turning back to Mai. "I appreciate you telling me..."

"Mel, I don't expect you to forgive me for anything," Mai interrupted. "I don't deserve it. I just wanted you to know that I didn't have any intentions of targeting you. I don't know my friends anymore, and those I've adopted from other friends know how to get others to follow them. I'm sorry if I scared you."

"You did at first. But...I don't know if I should believe you."

"I certainly don't," the slim doctor answered. "Just hanging around those kids means that you participated in it. You could've just not gone with them."

"You don't know what Yumee Machino is like, then. He's someone that doesn't take no for an answer. He's was going to drag all of us into the fight like his life depended on it." Mai shed a single tear. "One of the kids happened to be one of my best friends, too. Mokoto Nagi. She's had this sick crush on him, and I don't know why. I really don't know why now that this has happened. I don't want to abandon her if I can help it. She's been falling more and more into his spell, and I'm not sure if I can ever get her back."

"Yeah, right! Why don't you...?"

"Doctor!" Melvin yelled. "Mai, I want to believe you, but right now..."

"Yeah, it'll be tough on you. I already saw your father and told him what happened. He and the officer he was with were told."

"With my _father_?" Melvin steamed.

"Yeah. I didn't want him thinking that I participated in that fight, even if everyone else does because I was there."

"You _were_ there!" the doctor barked. "You really think we are going to believe that you couldn't do anything to stop them, especially after hearing that they were your friends?"

"Maybe you should ask that to Mister Koa!"

"What the hell does...?"

"_Wait_!" Melvin yelled. "Mister Koa was there?"

"Yeah. He was standing at that spot where Yumee grabbed you, Mel. He was trying to hide, but I don't think he realized that I spotted him. He just looked on at us killing you, and did nothing about it. In fact, I think he was halfway enjoying it. That was even more horrifying than just what we did."

"Harold Koa?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah! He did nothing about it. I had thought it was a teacher's duty to keep the students of the school he was employed at safe, but I guess I was wrong."

"Now I _know_ you're lying! Patricia was released from the hospital and was to return to her class today!"

"Actually, doc," Melvin answered, "there is something about that that I think you'll be surprised to hear. Patricia is not being let back. Mister Koa is being instated as the new teacher."

"Personally," Mai added, "I could never stand him. No, scratch that...I'm _scared_ of him, and for the wrong reasons."

"Is any reason the wrong reason?" the doctor asked in a calmer tone.

"When you are just assertive, then it's a good fear. But you should be able to trust them, too. I shouldn't have to fear that he's going to punch me as hard as he can. I'm scared that he'll attack someone else now that he has the freedom to do so."

"He always had that freedom," Melvin answered. "However, I believe you now. No one who would want me beat up like this would admit to Mister Koa letting them do it. If he can hit that kid without regret before the Authority goes against the kid with all his scars in favor of Mister Koa, I don't know what else he would be allowed to get away with."

"You serious?" the doctor said. "Even if she is telling the truth—which I still have some doubts after how badly you were injured—how would she know that anything can be done about those kids?"

"I'm going to stay the night, school be damned. That's why I'm here now. I feel horrible for not stopping them sooner, and all I can do now is to try to make things right. I don't know if you'll forgive me, Mel, but I am deeply, truly sorry for my actions."

Melvin only nodded, an action that Mai tried to hide her worry about, before he walked out of the lounge with the doctor.

Mai slowly went back to her couch and curled up into a ball, knees touching her chin, and let out loud sobs. "I need to save Mokoto, too. If Yumee can do that to Melvin, he could...oh God!' She buried her head in her knees for a moment, then looked over at the opposite side of the room. "Yumee, if you ever lay a finger on her, I'll kill you. She's been my only friend, and you're taking her from me."

With no other words, she collapsed onto the couch and fell asleep, forgetting the blanket.

**-xXXXXx-**

Melissa Beryl was ready to settle in for the night, and her bed, as cheap as it was, was the best way to do that. It was not just the battle she had tonight, but also the reason why the police and the public were so negligent lately. She knew the town had never been like that, and she planned to find out why. Even if Grandpa had told her, she could not bring herself to believe it.

'_I'm sorry, Pandora. I didn't get the chance to make things right for you and your sisters. May they and you all rest in peace. And I swear to you, I'll get those bastards that took your life from you._'

She looked out her window as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

**-xXXXXx-**

"Prisma," she heard as she found herself in a pitch black netherworld. Her feet were flat, as if she was standing on something, but she saw nothing but black as she looked down. The voice, though, was too familiar.

"Sapphire?" she gasped as she twisted all over the place to find who she thought was her former lover.

"Yes, Prisma. You cannot see me, but I am here."

"Please, you don't need to hide from me."

"It's not by choice, and I wish I didn't have to, especially from you."

"I...where am I?"

"You're in a void right now, but don't worry. You're in no danger."

"Why do it this way? I thought you were..."

"Prisma, I don't have much time. You're friends with her now. I have seen it."

"Who? You mean Melissa?"

"Yes. Queen Melissa Beryl, former queen of the famed North Pole Kingdom and the subsequent Dark Kingdom. She questioned her master's trust from day one, and knew Rubeus was not to be trusted."

"She's a kind woman. I didn't know someone who was thought to be so cruel to everyone was actually so kind to her friends."

"She is, and that's how she once was. You must not let her fall back into the arms of the corruption that consumed her. She was filled with hate for something she only _thought_ she had done. Your sisters need to know. The world needs her to help the Sailors understand and fight the power of the Hizrounswa. Everything we were told by the Doom Phantom about the crystal was true. If she is allowed to fall once more, then there is nothing stopping Rubeus from doing the unthinkable. I don't want to live in a world like the one I have seen become our future."

"Why would she want to go back?"

"It would not be her choice. Rubeus is trying to force her, either by making her feed off of her corruption or doing something so drastic that it'll convince her to return. Either way, you need to stop him from getting her back. She's the only one that can help the Sailors battle the Hizrounswa."

"How do you know this?"

"I'm sorry, Prisma. I must go. I've always loved you."

"Wait, Sapphire! How are you contacting me? Please, come back! Answer me!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Prisma shot out of bed with cold sweat dripping from her temple. Panting heavily, she took only a few seconds to fully awaken before jumping to her feet, racing out the front door.

**-xXXXXx-**

Melissa had fallen into a dreamworld when she swore she heard a knock at a door. It was at her front door. She thought someone was knocking on a door in her dream, and she only turned to the other side and grumbled to herself. There was another knock, and this time, one eye came open. She knew then she wasn't dreaming it, and slowly stumbled up and got a purple cloth robe on before walking groggily to the door.

"Melissa?" Prisma asked as she looked at her half-awake friend.

"What's going on, Prisma?" Melissa looked at a digital clock on an end table. "It's three in the morning...wait, three in the...?'

"I have to talk to you. May I?"

"Th...I wasn't even asleep for..."

"Melissa?"

"Uhh..._oh_, yeah. Sure. Come on in!" Melissa stepped back, allowing Prisma to come inside. She quickly closed the door and eyed Prisma's silk green robe. "You weren't planning on coming here, were you?"

"No, and I don't think you were, either."

"Is there something wrong?"

"Yes!" Prisma sat in one of the chairs around the square kitchen table. "I had a dream about Sapphire?"

"Who?" Melissa asked as she sat down across from her.

"From the Black Moon Family. I was...in love with him."

Melissa felt her bottom lip curl down. "I-I'm sorry, Prisma. What happened to him?"

"He was killed by the Doom Phantom because he was trying to tell Diamond the truth. The Doom Phantom was using them."

"Diamond?"

"Prince Diamond. He and Sapphire were brothers, and he tried to warn Diamond of Phantom's betrayal, but he was shot to his death before he could finish what he was saying. It was enough for Diamond to think twice, but that meant..."

Prisma panted heavily. Melissa rose to her feet and put a hand on Prisma's shoulder. "It's okay, Prisma. I know all too well how it feels like to lose someone that close to you." '_Especially when you never even got the chance to say goodbye._'

"I thought he was dead until I dreamed of him just a moment ago. He was telling me about you, Melissa."

Melissa raised an eyebrow. "About me?"

"Yeah. He wanted me to inform my sisters that we have to protect you against Rubeus' attempts to recruit you back to the Dark Kingdom, and that you were the only one that would be able to help the Sailors fight the Hizrounswa."

The shadow queen dropped into a nearby chair. "I'm the...only..."

"I don't know what it means, but he said that you wouldn't go by choice."

"Not on my life. Not while he's there, and not until Metaria is dead."

"He told me he doesn't want to live in the world that he has seen become the future."

Melissa's eyes batted open for a moment as she recalled something Nephlite had told her: "_I was shown a barren wasteland, and I was told that if the Silver Crystal was to shatter, then that world would become a reality.'_"

"Prisma, were you sure it was Sapphire you heard in your dream and not a female voice? I just want to make sure I'm hearing you right."

"I could never mistake that voice for anyone else's. The mere coo of his voice is enough to put me at ease. Though I wanted to see his face. I never got to in the dream."

'_Was Nephlite lying to me about who told him about that premonition? And why would he? Could that be more than just a dream?_'

"Melissa," Prisma asked as she saw her friend's eyes go blank, "are you okay?"

"Listen, Prisma, don't worry about me," Melissa answered as she shook her head. "I know Rubeus is trying to get me back. He's been trying a lot of things to convince me, but he knows now that if he wants me back, he'll have to kill me and drag my carcass back to the throne."

"I still worry, Melissa. He sounded like he was confident that Rubeus was trying something new. Something that you might not be ready for. If we lost you in any way..."

"Stop it, Prisma!" Melissa harked, holding her hand tightly. "You will _not_ lose me! Period! I'm not going anywhere!"

"We all need you, Melissa! You're the only other person we know who has been through the same thing."

"And I'll be here. Don't worry! He's underestimating me if he thinks I can be influenced..." Melissa stopped suddenly as she gasped.

"Melissa?"

"I was...manipulated...very easily."

"What are you...?"

"That's how she got me. When I was at my worst point in my life."

"Sapphire said something about the hatred you had."

"Oh, my God!"

Prisma put her free hand on top of the two hands that were already linked. "We'll be there, too."

"Rubeus may be trying to recreate some low point where I would be easily swayed. Did Sapphire say he knows that I could fall?"

"He didn't say if you actually did or not in the future he saw. He only said there was a possibility."

"That vision that I had when meditating with Gramps!"

"What vision?"

"Some black cloud took me and lifted me up off the ground. I was completely limp and unable to move as it forced me slowly towards it. I could feel my body parts. I wasn't paralyzed, but they refused to move. It was the worst feeling I've ever had in my life. I wanted to move something, but it was like someone picking me up by my head after killing me. I was accepting it back into my life."

"Was it the corruption?"

"My vision...Metaria called it that, too. All I know is that the black cloud had all the voices and images of me and my new friends telling me how much I didn't belong."

"That's the corruption. You saw it visually. It's the accumulation of what you've been through, turning it into what we perceive as evil thoughts, emotions, and actions. No two people have the same exact type of motivation to acquire it, but it's there. You must still feel like you're not wanted."

"In a way, yeah...I don't..."

Prisma laid a hand in Melissa's hair. "You are, at least by us. By me."

"Thanks, Prisma."

"No problem, Melissa. We all love you. I lo...lov..." She suddenly collapsed on the table and began snoring almost instantly.

Melissa slowly took her hand away from Prisma's and slowly picked her body up into her arms. She smiled at the peaceful body as she carried her into the living room and laid her on the couch. She took an afghan and covered her as she kissed her lightly on the temple. "I love you, too, Prisma. I love all of you. If he tries anything, I'll remember what you told me. Never again! You'll always have me."

She never left Prisma's side as she ended up letting her head fall limp near Prisma's and falling asleep herself.

**-xXXXXx-**

The radio alarm woke Serena once more around six. There was no music at the moment, but rather the morning DJ's talking it up.

"Did you believe what they were showing, though?" one host began.

"Of course, no one is going to question their motive," answered another. "It's like they can do no wrong. Ever since they began a few months ago, that's the only news outlet Tokyo watches anymore."

"What did they show?" a female host asked.

"You heard about that kid who was beaten half to death in a back schoolyard by five hooligans, right?"

"Oh, yeah, that kid."

Serena rubbed her eyes. "Huh?"

"Well," the second host continued, "Cocilio News decided to just outright show a picture of this kid's face, all bloodied up. They gave that old parental advisory spiel, but it wasn't the graphic nature of the attack that was in question, but that they showed a minor's face without so much as a care for the rules. You just don't do that."

"Fuji never even did that," the first host answered. "They would at least blur the face and keep the identity a secret. They didn't have to show the kid's identity."

"And thing is, they did it twice, and the second time, they decided to give the kid's name, which was even worse. This was, for some reason, a deliberate attempt to get ratings, like they need them."

"It was at Juuban Junior High School yesterday, right?" the female host asked.

"Yeah," the first host answered.

"Yesterday?" Serena asked herself as she crawled out of bed. "It must've been about Melvin! I had to hold Casto back from rushing to the hospital last night. Good thing he's gonna be released today, if what my mother heard is true."

As Serena continued to think, the first host continued, "We have a caller. Line one. Meshi, you're on the air on the Early Bird."

"Yeah," the female caller said, "I don't think it was a big deal that the kid's face was shown. It's about time someone showed what bullying can actually do. Now we can go after the bastards who did that heinous crime."

Serena began to fix her hair as she continued to listen to the first host. "But miss, isn't it irresponsible that this news outlet would just show a kid's face? Now everyone knows who the kid is, and if anyone wants to try to bully him like this in the future, then they will know who to go after."

"And plus," the second host added, "the police wouldn't do anything anyway."

"Aren't the Sailors becoming our police?" the caller asked. Serena fumed upon hearing it.

"You can't expect them to be everywhere, all the time," the female host answered. "Besides, it shouldn't be their responsibility."

"But it is! That thing they took out of our hometown was proof that they would be there at any time to save us whenever they need them."

Serena's fist punched her dresser, though she hoped no one heard it.

The first host continued. "Line two on the Early Bird. Let's see...umm...Rumi's your name?"

"Yes, Takado! I don't get this, and I don't get that first caller. If that were her kid in the photograph, what do you think she would be thinking?"

"From what she was saying," the second host answered, "she would probably blame the Sailors for not being there fast enough."

"Yeah. We're asking way too much out of them. We need to tell these damn police to start handling the crime rate. That was their responsibility. And I don't watch Cocilio News for that very reason. That was uncalled for, and the Japanese Communications Commission needs to hold them accountable."

"But don't you think the public should be held accountable, as well, Rumi?" the female host asked. "We've seen the community in Tokyo and most of Japan pull together when they needed each other before this crisis all started. Now they don't even lift a finger."

"It's because of these lies that Cocilio have fed to us, Sataormi. They've become popular for some reason. They say they are fair, but look at how they report the news. That's a real crime for you."

"Okay," Takado interrupted, "let's go to line three. Mordo, you're on the Early Bird."

"Yeah," Mordo responded, "Cocilio is fair, and it is a shame that Rumi never sees it. They are finally giving truth in reporting in Japan. We've been risking our lives for a long time. It's time for us to look out for _our _families and _our_ necks. The police are doing fine. That's all."

"Okay," Takado responded as the caller hung up. "I don't see what he sees."

"Maybe one of his kids was one of those hooligans," the second host answered with a small chuckle.

"We shouldn't joke about that, but it would be ironic if that was true."

Serena was about to whisper her agreement with Takado when...

"Okay, line four. We have Casto on the line. Early Bird."

"Casto's up this early?" Serena asked.

"Yeah. I've been visiting Japan as a foreign exchange student, and I cannot believe the audacity of that idiot who called. He should be ashamed of himself."

Yes, it was Casto; Serena could hear him from downstairs. She worried that he would wake everyone else up, assuming they weren't awake already.

"Where are you visiting from?" Sataormi asked.

"From America."

"Oh my," Takado answered. "I've heard the media is Topsy-turvy over there, too."

"Yeah. You now have Cocilio News. We've always had Fox News. Same boat, and if Cocilio is anything like Fox is over there, it would be disgusting for them to show that kid's face, but it wouldn't surprise me that they pulled that damn stunt."

"Casto, take it easy," Serena said as if he was in the room with her.

"Didn't surprise me in the least, either," Sataormi said, "and I've never heard of this Fox News thing."

"That kid is a good kid," Casto continued, "and never deserved what he got from that gang. It's like you guys are one of the few that care anymore. It was just like one of my friends told me last night: the public is on some strike until the police fix their efforts, which will never happen. No wonder the Sailors are depended on so much anymore. They are the only ones willing to _do_ anything!"

Serena eyes lit up as she raced downstairs. She knew what was coming next after she heard Casto raise his voice.

"Casto, please!" She could hear herself on the radio.

"Who's that?" she also heard one of the male hosts ask. She didn't know or cared which it was.

"Serena," Casto whispered as he lifted the phone off his ear.

"Calm down. You're going to wake everyone."

"Did I wake you?"

"No, I was already awake."

"Casto?" Takado asked. "Did we lose him?"

"I think he was so passionate he woke the whole neighborhood," Sataromi laughed.

"Well, we'll see if he's still there. In the meantime, we got a good tune right here for those in the police force and on Cocilio News. From Alice in Chains, it's called No Excuses, and it's on the Early Bird."

As the song began, Serena took the phone away from her brother and hung it up. "Don't worry, Casto. We'll be able to find out the truth."

"Nothing is as it seems anymore, Serena," Casto answered as he walked into the living room and sat down on the couch with his sister. "I came here to Japan to find you and to be able to spend time with the one person that took me forever to find again. I didn't expect all this to happen, though. It's like the change just waited for me to show up to happen. It's like I'm the one who caused it."

"You didn't cause anything, bro." Serena wrapped an arm around Casto.

"Yeah, I think I did. Maybe if I left, things would turn back to normal for you and this town."

She grabbed Casto by the shoulder and shook him. "No, Casto. For God sakes, don't ever say that. Even if you somehow were to blame, I would never want you to leave. Losing you would be like a dagger through my heart." Casto could feel her hand clench his. "I love you, bro, and I wouldn't let anything happen to you. You, Reenie, Darien, my family and friends. They are all very important to me."

"I'm surprised you feel that way towards a brother you didn't know you had."

Serena angrily shot up to her feet. "And what the hell was that mind meld we all did? What about when I thought I was gonna lose you after you saved all of us from that escape pod explosion? Do you have any idea what kind of memories I had to endure when I saw you laying there, and I didn't know if you were gonna die? I felt like dying there, too! How could you think that now, after all we've been through now, I would ever doubt that you were telling the truth?"

Casto's froze. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you should be, bro! Why do you think I was trying to stop you from going to the hospital like you were going to last night? I know how you've been, and what you're like. I don't know if brute force is the way to go right now!"

"Listen to you, then, Serena! You can't keep your anger in check, and you want _me_ to, now?"

"Bro, please don't..."

A car horn beeped, interrupting Serena. "That must be Patty. Look, Casto, I know I haven't been the best lately, but you have to watch it yourself. I don't want you getting yourself into more trouble than you could already be. I've also remembered that you tend to get into fights a bit too much."

"But..."

The horn blasted again. "I gotta run. Think about what I said, okay. I'm sorry I got angry, but remember that I do love you." Casto nodded as Serena kissed him on the cheek and smiled at him. She headed out the door while Casto collapsed on the couch.

"She does love you, you know?" he heard a calm female voice say beside him.

"Luna?" he replied as she sat against his leg on the couch.

"She's very concerned that you're getting in over your head. I heard about the tree branch last night and how you almost got crushed by it."

"I didn't know what else to do, Luna. I was trying to protect my friends."

"I know that, but look at it from Serena's point of view. She's been traumatized lately by Rubeus, and she been forced into situations I never once dreamed the Moon Princess would be in. You two also have that teacher that's been bothering you, too."

"Yeah, Mister Koa. Which reminds me: I may want to get ready. Darien's coming to drive me there."

"Wasn't the principal going to?"

"He was, but when we told Darien what was happening, he wanted to go, too, and I want to talk to him, anyway."

"She worked at his orphanage, right?"

"Yeah, if I remember correctly. I think that's why he wants to come with us."

"And...what about Melissa?"

Casto rose to his feet when he heard the question. "What about her?"

"You _do_ trust her, don't you?"

"Yeah, Luna, I do. I have no reason not to."

"You weren't around when we battled her. The things she did, and the people she hurt made so many people incapable of trusting her. I know how Raye felt, because it's tough having to trust your worst enemy. I don't think I ever could trust her because I'm constantly reminded of what happened to the Moon Kingdom."

"I know it's tough to think one thing when you've known something else for years, especially when the event was dramatic. Trust me, seeing the Moon Kingdom being destroyed made me sick to my stomach. Not just because of the idea of it all, but because I ran away, and came back powerless to do anything to stop it."

"But you said you had a different perspective because of where you were at the time. I wish I was able to know you better, so I knew how you worked. I guess I know of something else you and Serena have in common. You can forgive people rather easily for anything. I just don't see how your sister could forgive her _that_ easily."

"There are lot of things that have been going on lately that I cannot understand. Maybe that's why I'm so worried I'm the reason why all of this craziness is happening."

"I don't think it's you, Casto." Luna jumped up onto the couch arm, once more beside Casto.

"I just hope it settles down. I don't know if I could take much more of this. I don't want to see my sister become like Rubeus."

"Oh, stop, Casto! She won't. That's just you being paranoid."

"I guess so," he sighed before looking at the digital clock on top of the television. "Have to get ready. I'll talk to you when I come back down." He walked up the stairs and into the bathroom.

"Why would he think that?" Luna said to herself. "Hmm. 'The future, as you have learned, has not been written yet for any of us.' Yes, Sailor Pluto. I think I know what you mean now. As long as nothing happened that didn't try to alter the future, we would soon be what we saw in Crystal Tokyo. But now that Rubeus survived and has been terrorizing us, things are changing. If Rubeus never survived, Beryl would've never been resurrected and I would not even be thinking about forgiving her. Funny, the way it is, is it?" She curled up on the couch arm and closed her eyes.

**-xXXXXx-**

Serena walked out the door to meet Patricia, who was about to honk her horn a third time when she saw her pupil. "Serena, I thought you were still asleep."

"Not gonna miss this for anything, Patty," she shouted as she ran over and climbed into the passenger side.

As she was getting into the silver Coupe, however, Rubeus and Drillbit appeared on a roof of a nearby house, concealed from view by a chimney stack.

"So, Patricia was lying to me all along," Rubeus growled. "She _did_ know about the Silver Crystal."

"How do you know that just by looking at this?" Drillbit asked.

"Patricia and Serena have become good friends by the student and teacher relationship. She trusts that teacher with her life, and I had a feeling that Serena also told her about her biggest secret."

"About her being..."

Rubeus snickered at the thought. "And if Patty knows that Serena's Sailor Moon, then she also knows about the Silver Crystal and how to hide it from me. It was the lie that landed that bitch in the hospital, and I would be more than happy to finish the job."

"She lied to you, even in the face of danger? Are you kidding me?" Drillbit pumped his tool hand, revealing a spinning drill. "I'll finish it myself, Rubeus. You just watch as I make mince meat out of both of them."

"Remember, though, Drillbit, we need to lure Melissa and Reenie out of hiding and make them come after us. I need to make sure Melissa sees me kill Reenie."

"I want to off Moon Bitch and this Patty woman, though."

"And you will get that chance," Rubeus finished before a loud cackle. "Trust me, you will!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Patricia began steering through downtown Juuban as she and Serena were only listening to the radio.

"I guess that Casto person isn't coming back," Takado said as they came back from the song.

"He got ransacked by whoever was in the background there," Sataromi added.

"He was rather passionate, and I don't blame him, about that. If you just tuned in to the Early Bird, we were talking about Cocilio News' decision to air the face of the kid who got beaten half to death in Juuban Junior High's schoolyard, and I also wonder how other parents view this being allowed to happen to begin with. Not just the airing of the kid's bloody face, but also that the beating just happened without anyone coming to help him, or break up the fight, or anything. That I don't get, along with Cocilio News not having a clue."

"There had to have been someone still there when..." the second host was chiming in when Patricia turned the radio off.

"Patty?" Serena asked as she looked at her could-be former teacher eying the road.

"That would've never happened with me there," she answered. "They would never have even _thought_ about harming Melvin."

"You know?"

"How can anyone not after they showed his face? I tell you, Serena, no one can say that there wasn't anyone able to do anything about that fight. Someone was there to take pictures, so there was someone there to stop it before it got that far."

"How're your ribs holding up?" Serena asked in a frantic rush to change the subject.

"They're feeling better. Every once in a while they begin to act up," Patricia paused to clench her ribs while still steering with her other hand, "like now. But I can handle it. There was one point yesterday when I didn't think I could make it through. It was when I heard about me being fired."

"You're not fired yet, Patty. They're just asking you to resign. You can refuse if you don't..."

"They're not taking no for an answer, Serena. It's either I chop off my own head, or they chop it off for me. They just don't want my blood on their hands. That's all this is. They don't think I'm being strict enough on my students. They never have thought that highly of me."

"Not strict enough? What about you handing me all those detentions for me being so late? Don't they hear of stuff like that?"

"The way they've been with me, I don't think they've cared enough to notice. They think I act too immature outside of my classes to be a teacher."

Serena could feel her teeth clench. "That's absurd. I know I'm not the most mature teenager in the world, but I know when I need to let loose."

"The truth is that they want a guy like Harold in that school. They have for years, and this was the chance they were waiting for. They don't believe a word anyone says about him unless it comes from his mouth, and he lies like you wouldn't believe."

"I swear, Patty, I don't know how much more me, Casto, or my friends can take from him."

Patricia let out a small sigh as she turned a corner. "So help me, Serena, if that man lays a finger on any one of my students..."

"He won't, Patty! In fact, I think Casto has a friend that could help up get..."

"What was that?"

"Oh, I was just saying that Casto..."

"No, I mean I thought I just heard a loud thud." Patricia checked in her rear view mirror. "Not this again. My first real car trip since the day I got injured, and I'm making sure no one's following me again."

"I didn't hear anything," Serena answered as she checked her own mirror. "Maybe a low tree branch or something."

"No tree branch is that low, but I get what you mean."

"Nothing to be con..."

The drill was loud and right next to Patricia's face as it poked a hole right through the roof of her car. It caused her to swerve left and right on the road. Thankful that it was a scarcely traveled street, she pressed her foot hard on the gas pedal. "What in the...?"

"Patty!"

"What is this?"

Outside, Drillbit was hanging onto the roof of the car, even with the increasing speed that Patricia was exemplifying while swerving. "C'mon, cutie! Time to die now!"

"You have to be kidding me!" Serena yelled. "Patty, keep driving! We gotta shake him off!"

"This is crazy, Serena!"

"Just drive!"

Patricia swore that her foot was going into the floor of the car as she pushed the gas as far down as she could get it, only breaking to skid into turns. She didn't have too much traffic to contend with, and so far, no police cruisers, though she was hoping that would soon change.

Drillbit took out his drill hand and swiveled around. His tool hand was facing Patricia's side, and he followed up by punching Patricia's window out and trying to stab her with the drill. Patricia leaned back as quickly as possible, just missing the drill by a mere centimeter.

"_Patty_!" Serena screamed. '_How is he...? Drillbit! Rubeus! Going after her again, are you?_'

Patricia, however, was using the now wider avenue to do sharp weaves through the traffic, hoping to make him fall off into the oncoming traffic that blasted their horns every time they passed her. "Do these guys ever give up?"

"Never, Miss Haruna," she heard the booming male voice answer as she was grabbed by the normal hand. It tugged on her sleeve, trying to make her crash. Serena laid one hand on the windshield and the other on the head of her seat and plowed both her feet into Drillbit's arm with near pinpoint accuracy. The move made him release Patricia, though he was still hanging onto the roof. Patricia could still see his legs dangling down and obstructing her view.

Patricia saw Serena begin to climb out her open window, extremely slowly. "Serena, no!"

"Keep driving!"

"You're nuts, Serena! How in the world are you even doing that?"

Serena didn't answer, only climbing on the roof using talents even she didn't know she had. '_Oh, my God! Yeah, Patty, this is crazy! How am I even able to do this?_'

"You try to stop me, Serena?" Drillbit asked.

"As long as my friends and family are in danger!"

'_This is what someone once told me about you, Serena_,' Patricia thought as she moved into a center turn lane briefly. '_You will risk your life for someone who needs you, and I need you now._'

Drillbit headbutted Serena twice, causing her to almost fall off the roof. She kicked the rear view, knocking it off of the car and into the avenue, before returning and punching him a few times in the ribs. All the time, she had to make sure something was keeping her from falling off the car. It was turning onto several streets, skidding from a breakneck speed right into immediate acceleration.

'_No police yet to check this out,_' Serena thought as she elbowed Drillbit in the back while climbing onto him. '_I don't know if that's a good or bad thing right now_.' She pulled up on Drillbit's head before smashing it into the roof twice. It hardly fazed him as he shoved her off of him with his body. The shove made her lose her grip for a moment, right when Patricia swerved. Serena was lucky enough, however, to grab hold of the insulation rubber of the window. It wasn't too strong, but enough to let her regain her grip as her teacher skidded onto another street.

"Give it up, kid!" Drillbit ordered. "You can't win!"

"If you want to harm her, you're gonna have to go through me!"

"Serena, he's not worth it," Patricia said as she clenched her ribs again while steering the speeding vehicle.

"Don't worry about me," Serena yelled as she dodged a punch. "Just keep driving! Don't stop!" Drillbit continued to punch Serena with his only free hand. '_His other hand must be clinging to the car with that drill of his._'

She climbed back onto the roof of the car and attempted her own headbutt, but Drillbit caught her by the hair and tried to whip her off the car. She held onto his arm, however, and then his leg. He tried to kick her off of him, and thereby nearly smashed her into Patricia's windshield. It was bad enough for her to have to try to see through the bodies as it was, and the thuds only concerned her more.

The third kick, though it didn't do anything major to Serena's body, had a passive effect: it made Serena's communicator, which she still had in her jeans pocket, turn on from the call button being pressed. She didn't feel anything happening, but within seconds of the smack into the windshield—that miraculously didn't break it—the communicator was in the process of a call to someone.

**-xXXXXx-**

Casto had met Darien in front of his house.

"You look out of it, Cas," Darien called out from within the red sports car.

"Sorry," Casto said as he got in. "I had a bit of a run in with reality."

"What do you mean?"

Casto turned to Darien as the car was put in gear. "Darien, did you ever think about how life for your friends would be like if they never met you?"

"I don't think I've ever thought of that."

"You had to have thought about it at some point. Like, what would Serena's life had been like if you two had never met."

"I guess I couldn't ever think of a life without Serena in it; I wouldn't want to, either."

"In America, there was this Christmas movie, It's A Wonderful Life. This guy's life is on the rocks, and he makes a wish that he was never born, but this wingless angel grants it, and he finds out how much the people around him need him, and he ends up wanting to be there because life without him was so much worse for the people he cared about."

"I think I know what you're saying. Would the events that have taken place happen if we didn't have a hand in the lives of those we have had a part of?"

"Exactly. That's what I was thinking about. I thought that maybe my presence here has caused something major in the space time continuum, or whatever they call it."

"Everyone's presence causes a major shift in time. Everything you, me, or anyone else does changes things. I thought you were the one to think that destiny had a different set of circumstances. That one should choose their own destiny."

"I still believe that. I just think that..." Casto was interrupted by his Vulture Communicator beeping. He answered it, seeing Amy at the other end. "Amy, you rang?"

"Casto, did you get a call on your communicator from Serena just now?"

"No," he answered as he was looking for any indication that he could've had another call, "I can't see anything incoming."

"I got a call, and it is from her communicator, but I can't get her. I just see black and sounds of zooming cars. There's some fighting going on somewhere, too."

"Darien, stop the car for a moment." Casto's wish was carried out, and the car was turned off. "Can you patch the call into my communicator?'

"I think so, but I'm not sure why you never got this call."

"There's a lot of things I haven't been getting lately."

"Okay, Casto. I got it. You should have it on your flash storage."

Casto pressed a few buttons and accessed a personal data bank that was on the communicator. The only file on it was a sound clip that was dated as only ten minutes ago. As he opened the file, he heard loud clashes, screeching tires, honking horns, and ambient noise. "It sounds like my sister's voice, but I can't make it out for sure because of all the other noise."

"The news was saying something about some calls to the police that someone was driving like a maniac with a few people holding onto the top of the car like some movie stunt was going on. No police are in pursuit yet."

"Why am I not surprised?" After Casto was finished rolling his eyes, he turned the screen back to Amy. "Is there any way you can trace where the signal is coming from?"

"It'll take me a few moments to triangulate her position, but it should be possible." Amy began tapping some buttons on her Mercomp, and after a few seconds, cheered, "There we go!"

"I don't think you did it, Amy," Darien responded as he looked at the Vulture Communicator and saw the same thing Casto saw: "The position is jumping all over the map."

"That's what I'm getting from the...wait a minute! You don't think Serena is one of those..."

"Amy?" Casto asked, though his eyes widened.

"I'll call the other girls. You find that car!"

"Serena's done some outrageous stuff in the past," Darien said, "but I don't know about this one. Why would she be on the roof of a car with...?"

"She was in Miss Haruna's ca..._two people_!" Casto gasped. "Oh, my God! Rubeus must've found out and sent Drillbit after her. Darien, floor it!" Darien revved the ignition and sped off. "Vulture Medal Power! Suit up!" He prayed that no one was paying attention to what was going on inside the car, assuming they could see enough to know that anything _was _going on inside of it. '_Serena, please, don't hurt yourself like this. I love you too much to see anything happen to you._'

**-xXXXXx-**

Serena continued to kick and scratch at Drillbit with whatever limbs she wasn't using to hold on. She began to feel her elbows scrap across the metal.

As Patricia turned onto a street that had an incline to it, Serena tried to crawl up to where she knew she had a chance to dislodge her enemy from the car. However, Drillbit punched her just as the incline began. They both slid down to the back window, and Serena found herself pushing her toes against the rear bumper.

"Serena!" she heard Patricia yell.

"Keep your foot on the gas," she yelled. "If I fall, I'm taking him with me!"

"Oh, no you don't," Patricia growled beneath her breath. "This time, I get you back for these ribs." She shifted the gear a few places angrily, making her car go even faster. Serena could feel the pins holding her pigtails together begin slipping from the wind, and it was a wonder it didn't carry her along with it at this point. Patricia finally reached level ground, but screamed out to Serena, "Hold on, Serena!" She found an old junk car, or at least one that she considered to be one, and crashed into its side. Her speed coughed slightly, but she was able to soon regain her top speed. Drillbit had to cling on to both sides of the car to keep from falling off from the sudden collision.

"You bitch!" he growled as he pounded a fist onto the center of the roof. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"She did," Serena answered, "and _this_ is on purpose, too!" She fired a straight shot at Drillbit's face, and the drill hand that was in the side of the car was all that kept him from falling completely off. He flailed his legs quickly to regain his perch as the two jockeyed for the coveted position.

**-xXXXXx-**

Melvin and his father were walking out of the hospital with the same doctor who had assisted Melvin the night before.

"Now," the doctor said, "we'll need to see him in a few weeks to take the stitches out. Other than that, he should be fine from a physical standpoint."

"From an emotional one, though?" a troubled Mai said as she came out the automatic doors.

"That's for the stars to decide, I guess," the slim doctor said as he saw her. "I can't say that I trust you're sincere just yet."

"I think she is," the officer who was still on duty from the day before said from his police cruiser. "She sounded like it last night when she was telling me about that kid who orchestrated the attack."

"And you're not going to do anything about it?" the doctor asked.

"I'm just one person, but believe me, I'm going to do what I can to make sure he has at least _some_ justice."

"Better than none," Mister Gurio answered. "Thanks, officer..."

"Gumpi! Officer Tato Gumpi!" Gumpi lent his hand out to Gurio.

However, as Gurio was about to shake his hand, they all heard a loud revving of cars, one zooming past for what seemed like a mile a second.

"What the...?" Gurio gasped as he retracted his hand.

"That was weird," the doctor added. "Looked like there were two people on the top of the car!"

"At that speed?" Melvin chimed in. "How are they still able to cling to the car like that? That defies all laws of physics!"

The officer was about to answer when another car zoomed past the hospital building, just as fast as the first one. He was already on his radio when the second car shot past. "This is Officer Gumpi! I got two cars in what looks like a chase. Are there any other officers in pursuit?"

"Why is he...?"

"Standard procedure, Melvin," the doctor answered. "He'll be in the way of the chase if he joins in on something that other officers have a handle of. Though I don't think..."

"I'll have to go!" Gumpi said. "Not even an answer. I guess they went down back roads or something, since they didn't even have a clue anything was going on."

"That's insane!" Mai yelled. "And if they went through the heart of downtown without even anyone taking a goddamn peak?"

"That's a very good question I _will_ be asking the chief once I take care of this. I've already notified the hospital security of the situation, just in case." Without another word, Gumpi climbed into the car, turned on the sirens, and with a quick rev of the engine, sped off in pursuit.

"I can call my dad to see if there was anything said on the news today about this," Mai said. "I can also see if he'll come here and keep watch other Mel."

"But we can't trust..."

"You're gonna _have_ to, then, doc," she said in a mean tone. "I don't know what to tell you to make you happy, but I'm at fault for putting him here. The least I can do is to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"I can take care of myself, though, Mai!" Melvin scolded.

"Not in your condition, Mel. If Yumee is still the way I saw him yesterday, he's gonna want to finish the job. Let us help you, Mel!" She walked inside the hospital.

"She's got a good head on her shoulders, I think," Mister Gurio said. "She just got caught in the wrong crowd and was afraid to break off. I trust her."

"Yeah," the doctor answered. "Maybe I'm just being too stubborn about her." '_Though I don't know if I can trust her to be successful in her attempt._'

**-xXXXXx-**

"Step on it, Darien!" Vulture ordered. "We're losing them!"

"Trying my damnest, Cas," he replied, "but I didn't know Patricia could drive like this."

"Wouldn't you if there was a weird guy with a drill for a hand trying to put a hole in your body?"

"True! Hang on!" Darien slammed on the gas, with the car going even faster than before. "You probably could just use your power to..."

"_No_!" Vulture screamed. "Not yet. I need to have a good shot at Drillbit to be able to blast him off the car. I need to be in or on a moving vehicle to get the shot."

"I see!" Darien continued to try to keep up with the silver Coupe. He saw Serena and Drillbit battle to knock the other off of the vehicle. "Can't believe Serena's actually staying on that thing."

"I've been having a hell of a time believing most things anymore, man!" Vulture eyed the roof of the sports car, where a small window pane was. "Can you open this up? I think I'm going to do something that not many will be able to believe."

"Okay," Darien answered as he pressed a button on his dashboard to slide open the faux sunroof. "But what do you mean by that?'

Without another word, Casto rose up through the sunroof, putting his feet on the seat of the car.

"Ah, crap," Darien sighed. "Sailor Vulture's up to his old reckless ideas."

"Reckless? Maybe! Necessary? You bet your ass! I need you to get just a bit closer."

Serena had delivered a hard forearm to Drillbit's rib when she noticed her brother come out from the sunroof of a very familiar looking vehicle. "Darien? Casto?" she whispered.

"Hold on, ma'am. We're gonna get you two to safety." '_I don't know if she told Miss Haruna yet, but I don't want to take the chance if she didn't._'

'_Ma'am? Bro, you know better than anyone that I would let the world know that I'm Sailor Moon before my friends get hurt. Why are you bothering? Hell, why am I..._'

"Vulture..."

Casto was about to finish his call when he heard loud sirens behind him. He twisted his body around at his waist to see a solitary police cruiser giving chase to the two vehicles. Sailor Vulture stopped his call and dropped back down into the seat. "Shit!"

"Now what?" Darien asked.

"Police picking _now_ to do work?" The sirens got louder in a hurry, and Vulture looked back through the tinted window to see the cruiser right near their bumper.

"Why is that a bad thing?"

"The way they've been lately, they will think we're trying to blast Serena, or that we're the ones chasing all of them."

"I think you're just being paranoid about things."

"Every time I'm around, something bad happens, Darien! So many have gone to the hospital after they've met me, so many have lost friends while I'm around." Vulture sulked as he looked away from his friend. "I'm bad luck, Darien, and this is another way to prove it to me."

"You know that isn't true, Casto!"

"Yes it is, man!"

"_No_!" Darien screamed. "Bad things happen! That's life. Most of the time to good people. It's true that a lot of bad things have been happening lately, but more bad things will happen if you don't act. You were about to risk your neck for your sister until you saw the police coming. You need to show them that you're not going to hurt anyone."

"I've seen the hospital too many times. I don't want to have to visit any more of my friends and family in that damned place."

"And you won't, but you're letting things happen by not acting! That's my girlfriend on that roof, God knows _how_ she's able to hang on. That's your sister, the one person who could cry for your pain when you could not, and who came to you to scream for her when she could not. She needs you now!"

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You haven't been the last minute man you used to be."

"What do you think I'm doing driving my car like a maniac? Screw the police car! Prove that it's not your fault!"

Casto took a few deep breaths before jumping back up, standing on the seat. "Get closer!" He crossed his arms. "Serena, get back!"

Inside the first car, Patricia could hear a faint voice. "Who's there? That sounded like someone I know, but those sirens are drowning him out."

"Vulture!" Casto paused for a moment to look back at the police car before turning back to his sister. "Attack!"

The shadow vulture could not have been any more accurate. It hit Drillbit in the face, making him fly towards a small wooded area and off the car. Casto jumped back into the car as they saw the car in front of them suddenly begin to skid.

"Patty!" Serena screamed.

"What was that?" Patricia yelled out.

"Keep control!"

She skidded sideways on the back road and towards the shoulder. She finally stopped the car, though it now pointing in the opposite direction of where the lines permitted.

Darien answered by slamming the brakes and skidding himself perpendicular to Patricia's car. The police car made a clean stop, with the sirens fading out.

"_Serena_!" Vulture yelled as he rocketed out of the car to see that his sister was no longer on top of the vehicle. He turned around and began running when Officer Gumpi blocked him.

"The hell? Someone is in danger! Get out of the..."

"She went into the woods to look for that...thing," Gumpi said as he pointed towards the trees. "I didn't see where she went after that."

"Why were you...?"

"Just go find her! I'll look after that woman for you. Looks like you had just cause for going the speed you did, though I don't know if I could start explaining the things I was seeing to my partners. Go ahead!"

Vulture nodded and ran off into the small forest. Gumpi walked over to the car, where Darien was looking over an unconscious Patricia.

"Sir, I'm sorry!" Darien pleaded. "She's a..."

"She'll be fine. Should wake up here in ten minutes or so. I see this all the time." Gumpi looked back towards the forest, then to Darien again. "Was that a Sailor?"

"Yeah. He asked me to help him catch up to this car. I wasn't intending to just speed through..."

"Darien, I heard about that call they got from you the other night."

Darien's eyes lit up. "You did?"

"I need to have a talk with the chief. Seems as though no one even knew this was going on. Hard to believe, but I agree with you that we need to get our act together. Name's Tato Gumpi of the Juuban Precinct."

"Darien Shields." The two shook hands as they heard Patricia grumble. "Patricia!" Darien ran back to his friend, laying a hand on her shoulder as she came to.

"W-What happened?" she asked.

"I'm Officer Tato Gumpi, one of the few officers still doing their job here in this precinct."

"Darien?" she asked. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Patricia. I never did thank you for taking care of me while..."

"Don't worry about it, Darien," she answered. "I've never asked for anything in return except for you to find a good, loving family. I hope you did." She shot out of her car and looked around. "Where's Serena and that monster?"

"She chased him into the woods," Gumpi answered. "That Sailor Vulture guy did, too. Didn't know there was a male in that bunch. He was hitching a ride from Mister Shields to chase you guys down."

"He was...riding with _you_, Darien?"

"He asked me to, and I couldn't say no to a Sailor, especially when it was about Serena."

"She'll be fine," Gumpi added. "I asked Vulture to go after her while I watch you, Miss...wait, you're Patricia Haruna, aren't you? That teacher."

"Former teacher," she answered. "I was going to a hearing against the School Authority because they wanted me to resign."

"_What_? But my daughter loved going to your classes last year. She was begging the principal to put her in your class this year, but all of them were full by the time she asked."

"It's a good thing, though. This sub is trying to...ugh!" She nearly collapsed on the trunk of the car as she clenched her ribs.

"Miss Haruna!" Gumpi yelled as he rushed to her side. "Did you injure something when you crashed? Do you need medical assistance?"

"No. I'm fine. I was attacked some time ago, I was told these pains will happen for a few weeks. I just wish they would find another time to hit me."

"Attacked? When, and by who?"

"A week ago, and by a monster similar to the one Serena chased after."

**-xXXXXx-**

Serena followed after the footsteps she heard in the distance as she traversed across the leaves, twigs, and branches that littered the forest floor.

"You're not getting away from me this time, Drillbit!"

She ran across a tiny stream that only came to her soles, though just as she came out of the water, she heard her brother shout, "Serena! Wait up!"

"Casto?" she said as she stopped on a dime.

"Where is he?"

"Right here, Vulture Amateur!" taunted Drillbit as he dropped down and struck him in the arm with his wrench. It made Vulture drop into the water, soaking his clothes. He stood up, though he found that being drenched made it harder to move, and lunged at Drillbit with a straight punch. Drillbit dodged it and fired an electric beam out of his tool hand at him. It made him fall backwards into the stream. As he began to sit up, he could hear the roaring sounds of a chainsaw coming closer. He saw Drillbit closing in with the chainsaw running in the same hand that shot out the electo-bullet.

"Haven't you had enough of failing every single time, Vulture?" Drillbit yelled as he raised his chainsaw. "Now, how about I save everyone the trouble of putting up with you by slicing you into chipped vulture? Time to d..."

"Moon Tiara! Magic!"

"What?"

The tiara struck Drillbit right in the mouth. As he staggered back, Sailor Moon jumped down in front of her brother.

"Serena? I didn't even hear you transform!" Casto gasped.

"Drillbit, it's time to put you out of your misery," Moon growled. "You will not win! Not this time!" She brandished her Moon Scepter.

"Not that easily you won't!" Drillbit swung down with the chainsaw at Moon. However, Moon blocked it with the handle of the Scepter. The Scepter was sparking gold as the saw was bearing down on it.

"Serena, no!" Vulture screamed. "He's not worth it!"

If Moon heard him, she ignored the plea as she gritted her teeth while standing her ground. She could feel the Scepter beginning to slip out of her hands, though she didn't budge. Her feet were planted flat on the forest floor, and she grunted again and again.

"Give it up, Sailor Moon! Even if you do win this battle, you're losing the war," Drillbit ordered.

"I will always protect those that are important to me. I don't care how much bad luck my brother might bring for me, as long as I have him in my heart. You will not take him from me."

"But your friends continue to be taken to the hospital! You will be visiting the morgue a lot more if you keep it up!"

"And Rubeus will pay if he even thinks about it!" Moon drilled her foot straight into her enemy's torso, causing him to reel back. It caused all the separation between Drillbit and Moon that she needed. "As for you, I told you that I was tired of you messing with my friends and family, and my friends _are_ my family!" Her eyes narrowed as they darted towards Drillbit, who had hit a tree trunk and was still recovering from the kick. "Moon! Scepter! Elimination!"

The attack was quick, though, and for the first time that Sailor Vulture could remember, the magic was also more fierce than in the past. It was as if the anger that Sailor Moon held within her was being shown by how strong her magic had become. Drillbit's entire body burst into flames while his black soul plunged out of him and into nothingness. The melting of the metal that made him became nothing more than a slight burn in the grass that covered the ground of the forest.

Sailor Vulture finally got back to his feet and ran towards his sister. "Sailor Moon?"

"We finally did it," she replied. "We finally got him!"

"Those weren't gold sparkles and moon crescents. Those were..."

"Red, I know!" Serena turned to her sibling. "I don't know where that came from, but I can worry about that later."

"I don't know if it can wait for too much longer," Vulture objected. "If there is something wrong with your magic, you will have to inform Luna."

"Casto, you trust me, don't you?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I do."

"Then listen to me." Moon walked over to the black blades of grass where Drillbit once stood. "One, I meant what I said. I would break a thousand mirrors if it meant I would not be separated from you again. I don't think I could've ever been able to contain my anger for this long if I didn't have someone looking out for me like you have."

"But I..."

"But nothing, Casto! For the first time in my life, I feel as though I am fighting for something other than the world's survival. This war between me and Rubeus was made personal because he attacked my family and nearly killed my dad and Sammy. This is the first time I've ever felt like this. Something inside of me is trying to tell me to stop. It's trying to say that I'm going to do something to someone that I will regret for the rest of my life. But there's something else inside of me that's saying that this is what I have to do now. I have to do things by any means necessary. I need to protect the people I love, and now that I know what lengths he is willing to go to hurt those I love, I have to become someone I never thought I could be."

"But you don't have to stoop to his level, Serena! I can understand the change in attitude, and the stronger attacks. But you've been acting out of rage, and that's what he wants you to do. He's already got you where he wants you."

"That's why I have to ask you of something, Cas."

"Anything, sis."

"That moment in the pyramid, the time I held a gun in Rubeus' face, the time in the school, or the other times that I cannot remember. They scare me, but at the same time, they give me more power. It's like I'm finding out what I'm capable of, and while I want it to stop, I don't want it to go away. That's why I need your help. I need you to step in if something were to ever happen that could make me go off the deep end, because if something like what happened today happens again, I don't know if I can hold it back anymore. I've forgiven people way too many times. I can't forgive Rubeus for any of this. Not anymore. That's why I need your help. You know how to control it. I don't!"

Casto sighed before nodding. "Okay, sis. I'll do my best."

"I'll follow you out. Can you check to see if Patty is all right?"

"Sure!" He ran off, transforming back on his way.

Moon kicked the dead grass. "Yet, Casto, part of me actually is enjoying this. Seeing Drillbit melted down was something that gave me a smile on my face. Part of me doesn't want you to ever stop me. I want to beat Rubeus, but I want to do more than that. I want to make him bleed. Yes, I said the truth, Casto. I've never felt like this before. This is what I've been wishing for: a reason to be Sailor Moon again. Thing is, this time, I can't stop until I get my revenge." Her lips quivered as she suddenly stomped hard at the dead grass. She couldn't stop for a full minute. Her screams were muffled by the forest, but they were loud enough to hear from within at the same time. Casto must've been out of the forest to not hear her. Either that or he was just letting her vent. Once she was finished, Moon sighed deeply. She transformed back into Serena, and walked out of the forest.

**-xXXXXx-**

"Is she okay, Officer?" Casto said as he returned to the road, stopping to let a driver go past before crossing.

"Yeah," Gumpi answered. "Patricia is going to be okay. She told me about the rib injury. What about that thing that took off?"

"Sailor Moon took care of it. He won't be bothering Miss Haruna anymore. Me and Serena both saw her suddenly drop in and make quick work of him."

"I thought they would be rather angry to hear that the police want them to fight crime for us."

"Still, officer," Darien interjected, "that doesn't mean they can rest. But where's Serena?"

"Right here," they heard a voice call out. They saw Serena crossing the street as they looked over.

"Serena!" Patricia cheered while holding herself. Serena responded by lightly hugging her.

"I hope I'm not hurting you by hugging you like this," Serena said.

"Even if you were, I wouldn't mind it at all. I'm glad to see you're okay."

"I've got a question," Gumpi said. "How did you stay on the roof of the car while you were doing those things?"

"Not sure," she answered. "I didn't know I could do those things. I'm glad whatever teaching I had paid off."

"Nothing _I _taught you," Patricia answered.

"Just...promise me you won't ever do that again," Darien pleaded.

"I hope I won't have to," Serena said. "Officer, does this mean...?"

"Yeah. You're free to go now. You should be commended for your bravery, ma'am." Gumpi turned to Casto and Darien. "By the way, I am going to be trying to get something started within the department to change some things, because it's obvious after today that something does need changed. Keep bringing it up. We need someone to speak out."

Darien smiled as he nodded. "Thanks, Officer."

"No problem. But I think what will be the most telling is if the Sailors come out and address to the public what is going on. The people trust the Sailors, so they should be the ones who tell them that they need some help. If any of you see them again, be sure you tell them that. I'll see what I can do on my end. I have to get back to the hospital to get some paper work straightened out. You folks stay safe now." The others waved to Gumpi as he got back into his cruiser and drove off in the other direction.

"Hopefully that means there's going to be someone raising a red flag," Darien said.

"Serena," Patricia interrupted, "we need to get going. You thought I was tough on you for being late! Wait until you see these idiots if we're late for this hearing."

"Oh, damn! That's right! Though I think they'll understand," Serena answered. "That is, they _should_ understand."

"Yeah," Casto added. "Let's go."

Serena got into Patricia's car, and Casto into Darien's, and they all drove off.

However, unbeknownst to everyone, sitting on a tree branch on the side of the road high above was Rubeus. "Damn it! They got Drillbit! And that bimbo Patricia never got the hint that Serena's the Moon Broad. She's not that bright for a teacher." He punched the branch hard. "This stuff about killing Reenie to get Melissa to become depressed has gotten on my last nerve. Nothing is working. Reenie never showed up. None of the Sailors did, either. Maybe they knew something was up." Rubeus' eyes narrowed. "Yes, Queen Beryl! You were right on one thing: I don't know why I'm trying to get you back. I'm sorry, Metaria, but I think it's time we just make the statement. If it wasn't for the prerequisites, I would have killed Reenie by now. Just you wait, Serena!" He disappeared from the branch.

**-xXXXXx-**

Metaria, within her egg in the Dark Kingdom, heard Rubeus' words. A heavy stream of bubbles rose within the orange object.

"No, Rubeus! I can't tell you how foolish something like that will be. Beryl's energy when equipped with that tiara is without rival. We need her to come back so I can absorb her and break free. Did your own rage make you forget what we have to do? If I lost you, then any plan I had will be foiled. I'll be dependent on my Youmas. We can force her here if we must. I don't care anymore. The Sailors have been a pain in our asses long enough, and I feel your pain. Just don't lose sight of our goal. Reenie must be dealt with, but it isn't my top priority! Maybe Serena's rage isn't the only one I must be concerned about. Rubeus is all about anger. If only I was free."

A few more bubbles rose from within the egg.

**-xXXXXx-**

Officer Gumpi returned to the hospital to find another officer there. This time, despite him now being in the same type of uniform Gumpi had on, he recognized him as Mai's father.

"Akiaba?" the officer asked.

"I came here to ask my daughter what she needed from me, but I couldn't exactly triangulate where you were."

"It's a long story."

"Was it taken care of?"

"Well, the speeding parties had their reasons, so yeah, it was dealt with. No arrests were made, though I'm glad you're here now."

"Why?"

Gumpi let out a loud gulp. "I have a suspicion that we're going to have to do something about this, man."

"Huh?"

"Nothing on the radios, and nothing telling us that anything was going on. Do you see that as weird?"

"Yes, but what can we do?"

"Take action! I think it's time we mutiny!"

**-xXXXXx-**

The School Authority Hall had solid white plaster on the walls of the room that looked as big as a small courtroom. There were scone lights on the walls in between each of the multi-pane shaded windows and at the back of the room, behind the bench that could hold at least ten representatives easily. A double door was at the center of the wall opposite the Authority Hall's bench, and its length made it halfway towards the ceiling. There was a pathway to the tables in the center, and spectator benches on either side. There were various people on those benches as Serena and Patricia entered the Hall.

"They allow people to come in and watch these things?" Serena whispered as she eyed the hand-painted portraits of various board members who had passed on that hung along the wall behind the committee of ten.

"Yeah. They don't think they have anything to hide, even when they do."

"Miss Patricia Haruna," a creaky-sounding older male harked. "You were supposed to be here a half hour ago. I didn't think you would even show up."

Patricia's attention deviated to the pudgy, balding man that sat to her left on the bench. "I'm sorry, Mister Koppa. We had a run in with the police."

"Police?" a bold female asked. "Is that the best excuse you can come up with? I mean," she chuckled though her ruby-red lips, "not only would they be non-existent in this city now, but that could only tell us that we were right in removing you."

"Miss Hanoi, we were the victims today, not the criminals. Please stop judging me before I even make..."

"It's not your place to be telling _us _what to do at any time,' Hanoi interrupted. "If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who requested this hearing. We didn't have to give this to you."

As Patricia and Serena both walked down the polished wood floor and to the brown desk, the male in the center, a mustached male with a buzz cut and a towering figure harked, "Now that you _are_ here, let us begin, Miss Patricia Haruna! I, Head of Authority, Mister Roku Uematsu, will begin this hearing on your potential forced resignation."

* * *

And, thus, it has begun.

Good night, and good luck.


	15. Trump Card

WAR GAMES  
CHAPTER 15  
Trump Card

Written by Darkpower  
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)

* * *

Patricia Haruna stood in the School Authority Hall, at the provided brown desk in front. It was as if she was standing trial for a murder given how the Hall was designed. However, she was standing in front of eleven board members who would soon decide her fate, as if they hadn't made up their minds already. She had hoped that they would at least hear her out.

"I, head of Authority, Mister Roku Uematsu, will begin this hearing on your potential forced resignation."

The man bringing the hearing to order looked as though he could've been a member of a military group. He was clean shaven, had a towering figure, and short, buzzed hair. He looked a lot younger when compared with the rest of the group, as well.

"Potential forced resignation?" Haruna scolded. "I was told that it was either I resign or I would be let go."

"We said potential for a reason, Miss Haruna," Miss Hanoi, the female with red lipstick who sat at the right hand corner seat of the long bench, answered with a strikingly audacious tone. "When you have as much history as you have had with this panel, I don't think you have any right to be questioning our motives."

"That's why I'm here, though, am I not?"

"Yes, you are," a short male said from the opposite corner. "But at the same time, we did not ask for you to debate this ruling."

"Well, I am, because I have something to say."

"We know you do," the elderly Mister Koppa said into one of the eleven microphones as he held a manila folder up in his left hand. "You seem to always have some type of excuse. However, I have here in my hand a folder that contains all the records of what you've accomplished over the years." He put the folder down and opened it. Haruna could hear the sounds of ruffled papers echo through the microphone. "We know the obvious crime. You have failed to tell us about your pupils. Serena Sommers is one of the many cases where we have not heard of any action taken. Not only this year, but in years past."

"Mister Koppa, I think you will also see that her grades were improving this year. She has had a renewed interest in school, and she has come along well."

"How do you expect us to believe that," a female with a perm beside Uematsu asked, "when as soon as you went absent from injury, Serena's grades went from A's to F's?"

"That's because of Mister Koa," Serena said as she shot up out of her seat.

"And why are you here with her today?" Koppa asked.

"Because I can vouch for her. She's done nothing wrong. She's punished me before, and yes, I didn't like it. But I improved because she's there, and I know she's looking out for my best interests, even when I didn't think she was."

"You went from A's to F's. How can we not suspect something suspicious in those grades?"

Koppa's words made Patricia fume. "Now wait a minute, sir. Are you seriously thinking that I would fabricate something like that? You're saying that I would suddenly give straight A's to a student who didn't deserve it?"

"Well, we have noticed a change of behavior that Serena has been experiencing. And, according to the Mister Harold Koa that Serena is saying is the reason behind her sudden drop, it was a bad influence given to her by her brother. Did you know that he was trying to start fights with Mister Koa, Patricia?"

"Mister Koa has a past of trying to provoke his students. You were the ones who sided with him when the students all said that he struck one of his students."

"Because we found out that no one speaking on the student's behalf was actually in the classroom at that time. Only the testimonies of those who were in class that day could be accepted, and you know there was a huge assignment due on the day the incident was said to happen..."

"No, sir, that's a bunch of bull and you know it!" Serena interrupted.

"You _will_ show respect to this school board, Miss Sommers," Hanoi screamed, "or you _will_ be ejected from this room. Do you hear me?"

"Serena," Patricia whispered as she used her hands to instruct her pupil, "settle down."

"Do as she says, Serena," the male on the far left side agreed. "As if you listen to your elders, anyway. You are still in school despite your low grades in past semesters. It's a wonder you're even allowed to skip class to join this hearing."

"Because, sir," Serena began.

"What did I tell you, Miss Sommers?" Hanoi once more yelled. "Stay quiet! No one gave you any permission to speak!"

"How can I defend myself, then?"

"Simple: you _don't_!"

Patricia now was the one who rocketed to her feet. "That's just absurd. You're laying all these accusations on me and one of my students, and you don't even give her a chance to explain her side of things?"

"She doesn't have any right to be here, Patricia. You should be so lucky that we're not shipping her back to school."

"But she...?"

"Sit down and shut up until you..."

"Miss Hanoi," Mister Koppa interrupted. "With all due respect, I'm interested to hear what Serena has to say. May not change anything, but she's always entertaining."

"Entertaining?" Haruna asked.

Serena, however, stood up once more. "Ever since last summer, I've had a lot happen to me. My family was attacked by a madman for no reason. My brother and I were reunited, only to have him doubt himself and people threatening him time after time. My mother was abducted by the same madman who put my younger brother into the ICU, with only a slim chance to survive. I thank whatever god exists that he did. Yes, I've had some anger of mine that I've shown, but look at what I have had to deal with. Despite that, however, I've begun to really think about what I want to be when I graduate and leave the school. I want to be able to do that, and because of that, I've been trying my best. But ever since Mister Koa became the substitute teacher for Patty, I..."

"No, Serena," Hanoi interrupted, "you _will_ address..."

"Ma'am," Patricia answered, "it's fine. She's allowed to."

"You mean you allow your students to disrespect our rules? Not that you follow them, anyway."

Serena gazed at Hanoi intensely, and then continued. "Anyway, since he stepped into the school, Mister Koa has turned the entire place on its head. Patty is correct: he had instigated a lot of what made my brother snap the way he did." She looked back to see Darien and Casto sitting at the middle bench of the spectator area, to her right. "I was there when one of the incidents happened. He tried as hard as he could to blame him for all the troubles in the school. Another friend of mine has had him brainwash her mother into thinking that it would be best to restrict her from basically living her life because of lies he's obviously told her about my brother. He tried to do the same to another one of my friends."

"I suspect this is Molly Baker and Melvin Gurio that you're discussing?" Koppa asked. Serena nodded. "Well, now, I do know that Melvin got attacked yesterday, though I don't think that is what you're concerned about as it pertains to this hearing, though I do wish him a speedy recovery. That being said, though, I do agree with Hanoi that your way of addressing Miss Haruna isn't preferable."

"When it's outside of the school," Patricia said, "I am more relaxed about things like that."

"Yes, outside of school," the gray haired woman with the puffy perm responded. "That's the main thing we're concerned about on top of everything else. We've heard that some of the noise you've made in your complex has made your neighbors file several complaints with the landlord."

"The same landlord that didn't like me from the beginning, Missus Tenio."

"I would say he would have good reason, then."

"He fished around for anything he can find on me to get me to leave. But if you notice, ma'am, the complaints stopped when he sold the complex to a new owner, and the only thing he has been concerned about with me is that I've been behind on the rent that I have to pay him. He's been kind to me for this long, but I'm afraid he's beginning to run out of patience. This is why I've come to defend my position."

"You like the money?"

"No, ma'am. I _need_ the money. But not just that. It's also because I love to teach these kids. No, I'm not perfect. But what teacher is?"

"You don't show it outside of the classroom, though!"

"Why should it matter how I act outside of the classroom?"

"It shows that you're serious about your profession. If you're partying all night, before a school day, then what does that say about who you are?"

"Ma'am," they heard Darien say as he stood up from his spot, "if I may say something?"

"What is this?" Miss Hanoi yelled out furiously. "We are not going to be turning this into a circus for you, Patricia. Sir, sit down or you will be held in..."

"_Enough_, Miss Hanoi," Uematsu yelled. "Our rules on these hearings state that anyone who asks for permission to speak is to be granted such as long as the words are held to the topic and it remains on the record. Anything that will help us render an ultimate verdict is welcome. What is your name, sir?"

"Darien Shields," he said as he approached the desk. "I had not been in school during the time Miss Haruna has taught, but I was in an orphanage she was working at. She was nothing but kind to me and to the other children she had the privilege to run into within the orphanage. She helped me get back on my feet when I was at my worst. Trust me, sir, she would not just be going out and doing the things you are accusing her of doing."

"How can we believe you?" Hanoi asked. "You were trying to rudely interject yourself into this hearing, and it's only on Uematsu's suggestion that we are allowing this."

"Then you should look into the history she has in the school. Not just the negative, but also the positive. You're trying to find an excuse to expel her."

"Now you listen here, Mister Shields!" Hanoi foamed. "I've had enough of the three of you trying to make a damn mockery of the School Authority. We have a lot of prestige and tradition, and what you, Serena, and Patricia are doing is just spitting in the face of us and the people who have helped lay the foundation for what we have accomplished over the years. We are not going to let some woman who's allowing her students free reign over this district to let her entourage take over these hearings. I don't know about any of them, but I will come down there and remove you from this room myself if it should come to that. I don't think anyone in here would mind me doing that, actually."

Darien clenched a fist, firing his pupils right at Hanoi. "I knew it! You got too offended at that claim for me to not think there is something to it."

"Mister Shields," Koppa said. "You have to admit, though, that this is hard to believe without some hard, factual evidence that can support what you say about her time in the orphanage."

"What do you want me to do, sir? I don't have access to that kind of stuff."

"You must have something to show us if you were ready to make such a claim."

"How long do these hearings usually last?"

"Depending on how long it takes to reach a verdict, about a couple of days."

"I can see what I can get, then."

"I want to also say," Serena added, "that I would be even more of a basket case now if it wasn't for Patty. The reason why I call her that is because of the help she's given me outside of the classroom. I must tell you that I was close to killing the man who almost killed my little brother and kidnapped my mom. I didn't know what else to do, and I knew she was willing to help me, so I decided to seek her guidance. She's been there for me whenever I needed her, so much so that my entire family was saddened when she was attacked by that monster. You don't know how much my classes all miss her." Serena began weeping. "I don't know about any of you, but to me, nothing will be able to take her away from the soul of that school."

"Yes, Miss Sommers," Tenio answered. "I can see that you adore Miss Haruna very much. You know, I'm not going to sit here and say that I know that any of our suspicions are not unfounded. There are things we ourselves do not agree with as a whole about the details of this case. I do, however, find it difficult to think that someone who does not act the way we all think a qualified teacher should act could possibly be this reveled by the students in the school."

"I said it before. I'm not perfect," Haruna replied. "However, even you on the school board have to agree that there is a line between when there is work time, and when you have to get away from it all for a moment. There are times, I do admit, that I have burnout from all the work I do. However, I feel as though that the times I spend for myself energize me to do my work at my best ability. Everyone in this room has acted in a way you call immature. Even you on the board have acted excited, laughed, let loose. You can't be thinking about your job all day, every day."

"But you told us that this _is_ your life."

"Yes, I did, Missus Tenio, and I stand by it. It's all I know how to do. I love these kids. They are inspiration for me, and they show me how much they appreciate it by supporting me in the ways that they do. They have begun to stand up against the substitute teacher that you put in my place, and stand by me when they think I'm not being treated fairly. This is my life, I know."

"Then burnout from something you live for?"

"No one can possibly be able to carry on one action at every moment of every day," Serena answered. "I love my family to death, but that doesn't mean I don't want some time to myself at some point. Who doesn't need a break from time to time? I'm sure you all have had times when you needed to get away from it all and just relax."

"When you grind yourself too much," Darien added, "you become fatigued and less focused and less able to do what is asked of you. I agree with Serena."

"That's called not being dedicated," Miss Hanoi answered.

"I can see that there is some tension between the Board and you, Miss Haruna," Uematsu said. "I do believe that it will not be easy to convince us that it would be in our best interests to reinstate you. However, given your dedication and reasoning behind why you are willing to state your case, I do believe that it is something we can all agree that we want to hear more about. I want to know more about this tension that you have with the board and some of the disagreements you have with the board on some of the more recent decisions. However, it would have to be after a lunch break. Seeing as how we were obviously late due to the tardy arrival of Miss Haruna, for whatever the reason was, we have to cut this half short. We'll reconvene here in an hour to pick up where we left off. Please try your best to not be late this time, Patricia." Uematsu rose to his feet along with the rest of the panel and began heading for a back door.

"My God," Serena whispered. "And I thought just the look of this place felt like you committed a crime."

"I've seen a lot of crime dramas on television lately," Darien said. "Seems like they got a lot of their ideas from the shows."

"Yes, they think this is just some game where they can do whatever they want," Patricia answered. "They don't really care that lives are at stake here. But if they want to hear what I think of them, they are going to hear it."

Meanwhile, by the back door, Hanoi and Tenio met as they passed through.

"What do you think so far, Hanoi?" Tenio asked.

"She isn't going to go down without a fight, but give her time. The cracks will show."

"You still want Harold to be the teacher there, don't you?"

"He deserves it, and I'll do what I can to make sure he gets it."

"Just be careful. Some people seemed to pick up on your stubbornness fairly quickly."

"Not too worried about it, Fuumi. I actually want to hear what Patricia has to say about us."

"Me, too, Juno."

**-xXXXXx-**

Rubeus had transported himself to the fountain of Juuban Park. It was where he had killed Pandora, and he smiled upon thinking about it. However, as he stared into the rippling water within the white, three row fountain, he quickly became enraged again.

"This is actually where it all started," he said to himself as he swirled his hand around in the drink. "I only made my first move in the Sommers' household. This place was where Serena told me that it was on. She acknowledged my pure strength and power. If she didn't, I would've probably never had thought to find the Hizrounswa."

He looked back to the one tree that was missing a branch. "Yes, I could've ended it here, Casto. I could've killed you then and there, Reenie. I could've taken you out, Melissa. Every single one of you could've been dead right now. Instead, I'm left wondering why I'm actually following orders. I've never done that for a single time in my life. Not even to the Doom Phantom. That damn fool never knew that I was playing him. _I_ was the _true_ ruler of the Black Moon Family! _Not_ Phantom, and it _sure_ as hell wasn't that punk Diamond!"

He began pacing around the empty park. He could feel the cool air hit his bare arms as he strolled underneath the overpass. "Yes, it all started here, but I could've also ended it here, too. Several times. All this pain just to get someone to come back and have themselves absorbed into Metaria. I don't want to let her down. I don't want her to think that she cannot trust me, but at the same time, I cannot allow this to go on. We have to let people know that we're serious about our goals. And to do that, we have to make a statement, and we have to do it now. I'm sorry, Metaria, but your plan to bring Queen Beryl back to the Dark Kingdom cannot happen at this rate. We cannot predict human behavior, and we cannot predict if she will ever show up to witness a death. Hell, maybe she doesn't even _have _to." His eyes shot open as he snickered. "Hell yes! Why am I worried about if she sees me kill her? All she has to know is that I _did_ kill her. I don't need any Youmas for that. And I think I have the perfect solution for killing three, maybe four, birds at once." He disappeared with a loud cackle.

**-xXXXXx-**

"In other news," the anchor on Cocilio News said, "it seems like a trial for a murder, but instead, it's a trial for one woman's teaching job. Miss Patricia Haruna faces a panel of eleven on the School Authority Board. The purpose? That she retains her job after coming back from a rib injury that nearly took her life. She says they unfairly took action for trivial matters at a bad time. The Board says that the timing was just a coincidence, and that Patricia's teaching methods and behavior outside of class are the reasons for the dismissal. Joining us now is the former school board member, Mister Kodo Tusumi. Tusumi, I have to say that the way I'm seeing the case, the Board could make this open and shut. Could they?"

Watching the afternoon talk show were Ikuko Sommers in her home and on her couch. However, sitting right beside her was a curious Melissa Beryl.

"Yeah, I don't see the Board budging no matter what she tries to say to them," answered the pudgy, elderly man. "I was a part of that board for a few years before retiring, and I have to say, it's hard for them to have their minds changed for anyone."

"But I read her records, and from what I've seen, you have to admit that they have a good chance to really put the final nail in her coffin. Loud noises at night, what some could call a 'scatter mind', failure to report accurate grades. This is a very tarnished record, if I say so myself."

"No it isn't," Melissa steamed. "Why do you watch this crap, Ikuko?"

"I usually don't," Ikuko answered. "It's just what was on when I turned it on. Sammy was watching it to see what that whole thing at the park was about, he said."

"I don't know if I could call it tarnished," Tusumi answered the slim anchor. "I would call it unusual for a teacher, but it's nothing bad, at least from my angle."

"Nothing bad? She's probably having these wild parties in an apartment complex, in the middle of the school night, and that's 'nothing bad'?"

"It just says loud noises, which could mean anything, Buka. It could mean that the room isn't insulated well enough, or that whoever reported that has a chip on their shoulder towards her. No one knows if she's having wild parties."

"No, all right! These are children we're talking about here, and this woman was supposed to show an example. She needs to be taught the hard way—and this is going to be the hard way—that this behavior, and letting the bad apples that were populating her classes influence her decisions, will not fly!"

"Now you're just being silly here, Buka. Look, those who have met her will tell you that she knows what she's doing. She has a lot of people who will tell you that she is an angel and has touched those who have met her. She holds an honor's degree in teaching English to the kids at Juuban Junior High, and those who have taken her classes have came out at the end being almost as fluent in the language as she is. Universities have tried to get her to teach their classes. I'm not sure how that could happen if she showed favoritism or had these wild parties that..."

"These are children, and I'm beginning to think that you don't give a damn about these kids who try as hard as they can, and cannot get a break because this teacher is too nice."

"Would you rather have someone who isn't going to even listen to anyone and make up lies about hitting a student, because that's who they..."

"Hey, don't start on Mister Koa. He's a godsend of a teacher, and if anyone can straighten up those idiots who make it tough on the others that actually give a hoot about their schoolwork, it will be him. Don't disrespect how he teaches, or you're gone from this show, do you..."

The TV was turned off, and Melissa tossed the remote, with a loud thud, on the coffee table in front of her.

"Melissa?"

"Can't listen to that shit anymore, Ikuko! Mister Koa is a godsend teacher? All I had to do was bump into the guy, and I already had those bad vibes."

"You saw him?"

"When trying to catch up with you that day you went after Rubeus. I could've sworn he was a Dark Kingdom person with those vibes. How can someone who sends that much evil be a godsend teacher? I should've knocked him out with the things I've heard about him."

"Was that the guy Casto wanted you to spy on?"

"Yeah," Melissa answered as she slowly rose to her feet. "I was thinking of saying no, but then I heard about this town and how badly they need to be told how to be considerate."

Ikuko gasped softly as she rose to meet Melissa, who had rested her arms along the mantle. "Well, I'm sorry that you had to watch that. I wasn't even planning on watching a second of that biased network, I was about to change it when I heard you knock. Which...reminds me to ask what brought you here."

"Well, for one, I wanted to make sure you were okay after the other day. Obviously, you're fine."

"Yes, you could say that."

Melissa pivoted from the mantle. "What the hell were you thinking, Ikuko? I was worried sick that you weren't going to make it with your life."

"I'm sorry, Melissa. It's just that ever since I found out that my daughter's Sailor Moon, I've become more protective of my family than ever before. That, and..."

As Melissa listened to Ikuko, neither saw Luna jump down to the middle step as she listened in.

"You should be protective of them regardless, Ikuko," Melissa said. "But what else was there?"

"When he attacked my family, I accidentally neglected to check on Sammy. He hated me for it."

"How did you neglect him?"

"I was helping my husband with his wounds when Serena mentioned Sammy. I didn't think he was in the house, but when she said that, it sent chills down my back. I never once did such a thing, but Sammy didn't let me forget it for a while. I should've never done that, Melissa. I should've made sure my husband would be okay and then checked on Sammy. I should've been there for my son first."

"Didn't Kenji mention to you that you should check on him?"

"He was too wounded to think straight. I'm not going to blame him for that. I blame myself for what happened that day, and I think Serena sometimes doubts herself. She never says it, but I can see it. She blames herself because she could've said that she was Sailor Moon sooner."

"How would it be her fault because of it? She kept it hidden for this long, and as far as I know, we never attacked your family. At least not like that!"

'I_ don't know about that, Melissa,_' Luna thought. '_You had a lot of opportunities to.'_

"But since then, I've become more determined to never let it happen again, and when you told me that Rubeus was after Sammy again, my heart felt like it stopped beating. I couldn't let that ever happen again."

"And it won't. Rubeus is someone, though, who you cannot take lightly."

"Yes, I knew that. It was apparent the second he tried to kill my family."

"And he won't hesitate to do that again if he was given the opportunity. Ikuko," Melissa said as she turned her friend around and held her shoulders, "she needs you! She doesn't need you to get killed because you tried to be a hero when you shouldn't be. I know you want to protect your family, and that's good. But Rubeus is very powerful, and he could very well hurt you again."

"Yeah, especially when he abducted me and taunted me like he did. I had him by the balls then, I can assure you."

Melissa stepped back as she heard the small snicker come out of Ikuko. "Huh?"

"You obviously knew I went after him the other day. You probably didn't hear me return the favor, though, did you?'

Melissa's eyes widened as she remembered what Ikuko said the other night to Rubeus: "_'"Rubeus, as long as you don't harm my family, you can have me. Do whatever you want to me. Abuse me, kill me. Hell, make love to me if you want to! I know you want me! I could see it in your eyes when you slapped me and choked me on that pipe. You fell in love with me. Don't deny it. C'mon, Rubeus.'_"

"Wait, you did, didn't you? You_ did_ hear me say those things!"

"In more than one way, Ikuko," Melissa sighed. "It threw me off guard."

"D-Does...Serena know?"

"I don't think she does. I never told her anything."

Ikuko suddenly shot her hands to Melissa's shoulders and lightly shook her, with her left foot coming out of her pink slipper while getting more leverage when doing so. "Please don't! I don't want Serena knowing about that side of me. I know I was controlled by Rubeus that day, but I never was during any other time when I taunted him. If she ever knew that I..."

"Relax, Ikuko," Melissa interrupted as she rested Ikuko back down, "I'm not gonna tell her."

"I don't need her thinking that her own mother is some crazed, perverted psycho or something."

"C'mon, Ikuko. Don't be like that. Your secret is safe with me, okay? Sit down and relax!"

Melissa directed Ikuko back to her couch, but Ikuko tried to turn back. "My slipper. It's..."

"Leave it! Just sit down. You're getting all worked up about nothing."

As Ikuko sat down with Melissa sitting next to her, she rested her head back on the cushion. "I don't know if I even can again. I hate feeling so powerless. I want to have some sort of power."

"You have a lot of it, Ikuko."

"But I sometimes feel as though it's not enough. I want the strength that you and Serena have. I have you, her, Casto, Reenie, and your friends who are, in a way, protecting _me_, when I feel like it should be the other way around."

"Trust me, Ikuko, you don't want that kind of power."

"Why not?"

"Because, it then beckons a load of responsibility to know how and when to use it. Things happened to me that I thought I could overcome with just more power. But it isn't just power. It's what you do with it, and I forgot that lesson."

Ikuko kicked the other slipper off her foot and rested her head against Melissa's shoulder. "What did you need it for?"

Though Melissa didn't say anything about it, she felt a bit awkward at feeling Ikuko's breath on her. "Because I didn't think I could protect the people I served anymore after a few incidents I had to stop from happening."

"Can you tell me sometime about those?"

"Maybe some other time. Why is your head on my shoulder?"

"I feel safer knowing that I have friends like you, and that my daughter has such good friends."

"Well, I did tell you to relax. But I didn't think that you would choose that shoulder to...Ikuko?" She looked to her friend, who had fallen asleep. "Ah, not again. At least last time I didn't have to free my arm without waking someone. Am I boring? Middle of the afternoon?"

"She must've worn herself out with how panicked she was," Melissa heard Luna say as she turned to see the feline jump onto the end table.

"Luna!" Melissa jumped as she then carefully laid Ikuko's head onto the arm of the couch. "I didn't think you were even here. I'm sorry if I'm intruding."

"Oh, no! Like Raye, I have a hard time trusting you still, but I'm not going to restrict anyone like she almost did."

"I heard about that," Melissa answered as she laid Ikuko's feet onto the couch. "And I didn't expect Serena's guardian to forgive me so easily."

"Well, I just need more time, that's all. It's not like I'm trying to make excuses. I just can't see how Serena and Casto are as forgiving as they are towards people."

"Maybe it's because they have big hearts. Like what I used to have before I joined up with that witch."

"You don't have one now?"

"I want to think I do, but after I got backstabbed by those I thought I could trust and got used by her, it's hard to open it back up as easily. It's like you in not forgiving me or trusting me that easily because of what I did."

As she saw Melissa move towards the window, Luna took a deep sigh before asking, "Melissa, if I can ask you this, did you feel any remorse about what you did? You know, while you were controlled by Metaria."

"Yes, I did. In fact, every single order she gave me, I questioned in my mind and heart. No one ever wants to actually do those things when it comes down to it."

"But brainwashing would void you of any knowledge of you doing those things!"

"No, it wasn't the kind of brainwashing you're thinking of. It's like this: you get told that you have to do something in order to achieve a goal. You first refuse because you know it's wrong, but then the person just sweetens the deal. You refuse and refuse, all before the offerer makes an ultimatum, in which you do what they want or else. It's more like blackmail, but you're brainwashed in a way that you don't think it is. You know it's wrong, but you feel as though you have no other choice, and for a while, you like it because you think you're in control. But it soon becomes a matter where you have to not show weakness while doing things you know you're going to cry yourself to sleep over later on. That woman, if released, has power that I could not even begin to describe. I don't know how much power she consumes within that egg, and I don't want to think about if she was ever released. The more I fed her, the more I wanted to break that damn thing before she was ready to be hatched."

"Can I ask you another question, then?"

"Yeah!"

"What was it like before Metaria entered your life? I heard something about your family when you were fighting Eruptor, but I didn't believe it at first."

"My parents died in a shuttle crash when I was only ten. I couldn't believe it, but I had to assume the queen position early. It wasn't until some years later that Metaria came to D-Point. I loved everything about that place before she came, and she took advantage of the lows I experienced. Trust me, Luna. I don't want to go back, but I'm scared to death that they are trying to force me back." She took a deep breath as she rose back up to her feet and headed for the door. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Raye, Luna: I don't want to force you to trust me. I want to be able to earn it. All I ask is that you give me the chance. The things I've done were reprehensible, but that's why I want to at least make things right. I can't change the past, but I can still change my future. I have to go. Andrew was saying that he might need me to fix a few of the machines that were acting up yesterday."

"Okay. I guess we'll see you later, Melissa." Luna bowed as she saw Melissa walk out the front door. She then padded over to Ikuko. '_I know it's hard, Melissa. I know you're trying. I wonder what I would do if I was to try to atone for sins like that. I wouldn't know where to start._' She slowly grabbed the lone slipper that was in the middle of the floor with her mouth and moved it to where Ikuko dumped the other one. She then jumped on the coffee table. '_I didn't think you bored her. To be honest, I didn't know she had that kind of behavior inside of her. It sounds like you want to keep that promise, though I don't know if it's a promise that should be...'_

"So, you want to defy me again, Melissa?" Luna suddenly heard a frightening male voice hark from outside. She knew who it was: Rubeus.

'_Oh, my God!_' Luna thought as she raced to a nearby window, trying to find a place where she could get outside without breaking any glass.

**-xXXXXx-**

Melissa had met Rubeus on the point of a T-intersection that was right near Serena's house. "What in the hell do you want, Rubeus?"

"You forgot who runs the show now," the proud man laughed as he floated a few inches off the ground. "I call the shots!"

"Maybe in the Dark Kingdom you do, but here, you don't run shit!"

"Woah, babe! Easy on the language. Not in front of the K-I-D-S that could be coming home from school anytime now."

"Profanity is going to be the least of your problems if you don't leave her family alone!"

"Like you care, Melissa!" Rubeus scoffed.

Melissa was going to answer when she saw Artemis come up beside her. "Huh?"

"Leave Serena's family alone!" Artemis ordered. "You've done enough to her!"

"Ha ha! I'm not here to harm her family anymore, anyway! The thought bores me now. I was actually looking for Serena! I lucked out that I found you. Maybe you could deliver a message to her from me!"

"Deliver it yourself, you idiot!" Melissa growled.

"Yeah, like you're in any position to give orders to me, Melissa. Remember who was made the king of the Dark Kingdom, now."

Artemis gasped. "D-Dark Kingdom..._king_?"

"By Metaria, no less!" Melissa answered.

"I want to end this with Serena! I remember the fight we had on Tokyo Hills. I want to do it again. No powers, no gun, no police, nothing. Just me, her, and the night. Actually, this time, I might want to see her as Sailor Moon. I want her at full power when I kill her. I want her there at eight o'clock sharp. I'll be waiting for her then. Same place where Ikuko became a killer babe, if you know what I mean!" With a sharp cackle, Rubeus disappeared into thin air.

"You've gotta be shitting me!" Melissa snarled. "After all of him letting others do the work for him, he wants to just battle her?"

"Tokyo Hills," Artemis pondered out loud.

"Where's that?"

"On the outskirts of the city. I can fill you in later on what happened there, and why Rubeus said that about Ikuko."

"Killer babe...my God! I think I know. She told me she was completely brainwashed some time ago by Rubeus. That must've been where he tried to get her to make her stand."

"More than that, but I smell a rat here."

"Me too, but we have to at least inform Serena about it."

"She would be at that hearing right now."

"I can get there quickly and inform her!"

Melissa was almost off to the races when Artemis called out, "Wait!"

"What is it?" Melissa said as she skidded on a dime.

"You couldn't let us know that something happened with Molly, you couldn't let us know that Ikuko was chasing after Rubeus, and now you're running off to a place you might not know where it might be."

"I wanted to, but I couldn't!"

"I know, and I do believe you need a way to get a hold of us in case you need us." Artemis jumped high into the air and flipped backwards as a white sparkle swirl was made by the jump. The sparkles came together to form a purple flip-top device on the ground. "Go ahead, Melissa. Take it!"

"Does this mean...?"

"You're a part of the team now, Melissa. You should at least have the tools that we do."

"But not everyone trusts..."

"I do. And I know Luna does, too. She's just trying to test you. She's always been like that. Thing is, I don't know if you trust us. That would be a good way for us to know that you do."

As she picked up the device and flipped it open, she noticed a bunch of keys on the bottom half and a large screen on the top. "Wow, Artemis!"

"Casto has something similar. Luna made it for him, and I guess my talents in communicator making have gone up a notch, too. In fact, I wasn't sure I had that ability. I don't usually use it."

"A small beryl rock encased in the center of the binding, and the smooth texture is that of the same rock. Artemis, you didn't have to even make it, let alone personalize it. This means a lot to me."

"Let's see how it works now! Is Casto at that thing, too?"

"I don't know, and I don't think those prudes would take kindly to loud beeps interrupting their session."

"We need to get in touch with someone, and the other girls are in school."

"Let's see," Melissa said as she began pressing buttons. "Call! Okay...wow, already with stored contacts. Nice touch! Casto, where are you? There!"

"Hopefully he answers."

"Casto, come on, be there!" Melissa waited, albeit impatiently, for someone to pick up on the other end.

A few seconds later, Artemis heard a male voice answer, "Who is this?"

"Casto! Thank God!"

"Melissa? When did you get a...?"

"No time to talk! Where's Serena?"

"We were just about to go back in and resume the session. The board seems determined to prove that Miss Haruna is guilty of the planets being misaligned, even. Why?"

"Rubeus just stopped me. He wants Serena to meet him on Tokyo Hills for a fight one on one, but something seems off about this."

"Tokyo Hills! Good God, does this man think of anything new? At least this time we can be more aware of Serena not taking a gun to the fight! I'll inform Serena. What's time does he want her there?"

"Eight tonight! At nightfall."

"I'll tell her once the session is over for the day. It shouldn't be any longer than a few hours. You should inform the others as soon as you can. Oh, and I want to see that communicator of yours when you get the chance. Luna was awesome with how she made mine. I'm curious to see what kind of perks you got on yours."

"Will do, Cas!" As the call was terminated, Melissa closed down the communicator and tightened her grip on it while closing her eyes.

"Melissa?" Artemis asked.

"I've got a very bad feeling about all of this. I don't want Serena to go!"

"What do you mean?"

"Why would Rubeus just want to challenge her like that after all the crap he's tried to do to Reenie and her family? He's got something else in mind!"

"You don't know that, Melissa!"

"You're right, but I would tell her to stay at home tonight. Stay with her mother and daughter."

Artemis slowly stepped forward, eying Melissa's tension. "I've never seen you like this, Melissa."

"That bastard has one upped us too many times lately, and I don't want him to win again. I know what you guys want me to do, but I...I don't think I can tell her to go!" She ran off before Artemis could say anything else.

'_Poor Melissa,_' he thought. '_I wonder what she's so worried about. It's true: I've never seen her like that. I've seen her happy, angry, and sad, but I've never seen her with that much...fear before._'

**-xXXXXx-**

Melissa turned into an alley, far enough along to where she knew she had some privacy, and slammed her back into a wall, still clutching her communicator with a shaky hand.

"I don't know what this is, Artemis, but I can't allow her to go. I have to stop her from going. I know Serena is brave and would go to protect her family, but I know it can cloud her judgment, too. I don't know her for being stupid. She's done too much for me to just let her put her family in danger. I just hope you guys trust me enough to know that I don't know what Rubeus is planning, if anything. I hope to God I'm wrong."

She opened up her communicator again and pressed some buttons frantically. Halfway into her button sequence, she stopped. "No, Amy might not know what Rubeus could have in his mind. Computers can only decipher so much. As much as I trust her to know what's going on, I need to talk to someone who would know the fear I'm going through." She began pressing a few more buttons, and within about ten seconds, had her call answered. "Lita? It's Melissa."

"Melissa," Lita said. "What's up? I see you have a new communicator now."

"Yeah. I'm sorry for calling you in the middle of the school day."

"No problem. It let out early. Computer lab again. I was heading home now."

"Can you meet me at my loft instead? I need to talk to you about something."

"Sure thing, Melissa. But what's going on?"

"I'm scared. Scared to death."

**-xXXXXx-**

"So, Patricia," Hanoi said as the patrons inside the Authority Hall sat, "I heard that you have some criticisms that you would want to bring forth. Do you wish to address them now, or are you finally going to accept that you're not cut out to be a teacher anymore?"

"That's not fair for you to say, Hanoi," Serena said.

"I asked for Patricia to speak, not you, Serena!"

"But that's part of the problem with the Board," Patricia answered. "No one listens to the students' needs or wishes. They always seem to believe the teachers over the students, even when every student in the school says the truth. The issues surrounding Mister Koa could be tenfold now because no one even investigated that matter. How can the Board be proud of themselves with how they have conducted themselves during that time?"

"It was a judgment call, Patricia," Uematsu said. "And, like we've made clear before, it was his word against Harold's."

"But if the entire student body of a school comes forward, how can you ignore that? It's not like those kids would just lie to you, and they didn't know what hearsay was at that age."

"We could not accept those accounts when they never witnessed it."

"But what about any other time that he may have hit those kids? You think that would've been the only time that he couldn't have the gall to try to punch someone in the face? If he was accused of doing it once, then maybe it could've happened a second, or even a third, time."

"Harold is not one to beat a child, Patricia," Hanoi interrupted. "How can you disrespect him like that?"

"Because, I have heard of his teaching style, and it doesn't fall in line with what I consider to be an appropriate style of teaching."

"But that's why we're here, Patricia! Your 'style' is one that needs to be examined as one that should be saved for those that are teaching with a straight jacket on. How utterly useless would the school be with someone who is that unwilling to discipline the kids that need it! You're such a disgrace to the..."

"Miss Hanoi," Tenio called out, "I'm interested in knowing something from Patricia before you go on a rant. Now, Miss Haruna, if you do not approve of the teaching style of Harold, then that is your opinion. However, I am interested in hearing what your opinion is on what would be a good teaching style."

"Well," Miss Haruna answered, "it would be one where you have the students respect you. They know you will enforce the rules, but they know you're doing it because you know what's best for them. You know that they will understand why they get punished, or why you give them homework. Then, when they need help with something, you are the first one they come to for help with an assignment, or even guidance on their real life problems. In Serena's case, she knows I'm always there for her. In return, she's been there for me when I need her. This is the same with all my students. They know I'll get on them when they get out of line, but they will know they deserved it, and they come back and know that I'll always be there for them.

"With Harold, it's one in which the students fear him. They don't feel comfortable talking to him about anything, because they are so scared that he might do something to them that will physically and psychologically harm them for a long time. Like it or not, the accusation that Harold struck a student made everyone become fearful of him. I want people to respect me, but I don't want them to fear me. He doesn't care about the students of the school. He just wants a paycheck."

"So do you, as you admitted," Tenio replied.

"I need the money. You obviously know about the problems I've had with my landlord. The former one left, but he was known to get on me about everything. He didn't like me, and I didn't like him, either. The new owner has been more than lenient with me, but I don't know how much longer it'll be before he loses his patience. If I don't give him a payment soon, he's going to kick me out, I can sense it. And ma'am, I don't have anywhere to go. My family is so far away that I can't go and live with them, and they are so scattered around. Not to mention I was never that close to them. I became a worker at the orphanage partially because I felt like I _was_ one. I became one with the children who would otherwise have no place to call their home. I wanted to become a teacher, so those that have dreams can make them reality. I want them to become better than me. This is all I know what to do. I can't just go back to school and try something new. This is what I want to be doing. This is what I love to do. The time goes by so quickly when I am dealing with the children. I yell at them because it breaks my heart when I see someone with so much potential do things they shouldn't do. All those years that Serena had those bad grades, I got on her because I knew there was an awesome mind inside there that could do so much better.

"I can't do my job, the one thing that I love, if no one will let me. If you're seriously saying that it would be better to rule by fear and not by respect, then that's your prerogative, but that isn't my teaching philosophy. I just don't want you to punish me for doing nothing wrong by the rules of the Authority. I have never done anything that would ever break a rule, or have had to defend myself before today. And to think that I got this all while I was in the hospital, nearly on my death bed. I don't know how you could sleep at night knowing that you did that to me. I wanted to come back despite my ribs not being healed up completely. That's my dedication to my job. Why don't you ask Harold about his dedication?"

"Because, Patricia," Hanoi snarled, "your 'philosophy' is so flawed, I don't know where to begin. You should never allow your students to ever call you by your first name, regardless of where you are. Obviously you don't care about respect, or you would make your students do that. Serena suddenly has good grades, and then falls off the horse again. I don't see any explanation other than that it would be 'Harold's fault'. More like an excuse. And about your landlord. Did you ever think that he wasn't the only one who hated your guts in that place? I once lived at that very place, and I could hear your ass from a mile away. I couldn't get to sleep. You deserve to be put in your place, and what better..."

"Miss Hanoi," Uematsu interrupted, "please, enough."

"But..."

"But nothing. Patricia has a point. We could've picked a better time to make this decision. It was not my personal decision to make that ruling when you were injured, Patricia, and let me apologize for the bad timing. I can see that you still have some pains, as you were clutching yourself throughout your speech. I know this must be tough for you to handle, and we will be as fair as we can, but the cards are stacked against you, Miss Haruna. As I said, it will not be easy, but your speech just now may be something that we can work on for you. I hope you will take the early end to today's session as a way for me to make it up to you for the bad timing of all of this lately. We will reconvene tomorrow at one o'clock. And Serena, you're free to come if you would like. The school is closed tomorrow, though I bet it will be the final day it will have to be for the construction. Adjourned!"

As the patrons began to exit the hall, Patricia gathered herself out of her seat. "You will come tomorrow, won't you, Serena?"

"Of course I will, Patty." Serena paused for a moment. "Do you still want me to call you...?"

"You bet," she said with a small smile. "I don't care what they say. Outside of class is outside of class."

"I'll be here as soon as I can tomorrow, then. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Patty."

"Same here, Serena," she answered as the two fell into an embrace. It was one that a few board members looked over with small curiosity, though the two did not notice anyone staring. Patricia exited the hall after, turning back and winking softly at Serena, who smiled back.

As Serena began the trek to the door, she was stopped by, "Casto?"

"Serena, we have a problem."

"What kind of...?"

"A complicated one."

**-xXXXXx-**

The day had grown old, and for the Sailors and Melissa at the Shrine, it had become a tense one. The sun was beginning to set, and the nocturnal insects were beginning to call out for either mates or weather changes.

Inside the Shrine, gathered amongst the table in the middle of the main room, the group focused on Artemis, who was almost finished explaining to the Sailors, "Rubeus basically wants you to meet him in about two hours, Serena."

"Not this again," she answered. "Tokyo Hills. Same place where he tried to turn my mother against me."

"Serena," Melissa said, "was that where you pulled that gun on Rubeus?"

"Yes. It was a similar circumstance, though I was the one who challenged him to the fight, and he agreed to it. He went back on his word to not use his power, and I made it clear that I wasn't going to be played around by him anymore. Darien was the only one who knew I had it until I pulled it on him. My parents still don't know that I ever had it in my possession."

"Who knows what he's planning this time?" Luna sulked.

"That's where this gets complicated," Casto continued. "I got another call from Lita telling me about some concern Melissa had."

"She has to go, though," Amy said. "If Rubeus has a plan, we should all go."

"No!" Melissa yelled.

"Huh?" Mina asked.

"None of us should. I have a feeling we're all being played here. I still don't know where I'm getting this suspicion and fear, but I don't want anyone to go, and I definitely don't want you to go, Serena."

"But what if Rubeus already has Reenie?" Raye asked. "We can't take that chance."

"Reenie's safe," Casto answered. "She's at home with Sammy and Ikuko. I don't think Rubeus would hide something like that from us. He would use her as a bargaining chip if he had her."

"Melissa," Raye began, "I said that I did believe you wouldn't willingly go back and that you were on our side. So please forgive me for being suspicious right now. You're talking as if you know what Rubeus has planned."

"Yes, that's what I feared I would receive the second I said something about my thoughts. I swear on my soul that I don't know of anything that he would actually have planned. They all hate me in the Dark Kingdom now. That and I don't want to see anyone hurt anymore."

"I don't sense any bad vibes coming from you right now, Melissa," Luna said. "Raye, and this goes for all of you, I have concluded that she is indeed telling the truth here. She wants to stop Rubeus as much as we do. Though I don't know if I agree with you about what Serena should do, Melissa."

"I have to go," Serena proclaimed. "Even if it is a trap to end all traps, I've had enough of his games and tricks. I want to end this, too. He's hurt too many of my friends, and has gone after my family for far too long. He went after my mom, my little brother, and my...my daughter. I swear to you..."

"Serena?" Lita asked.

"Melissa, what did you tell me over the communicator while I was coming here?"

"That Rubeus wanted to kill Reenie. I know he does."

"I gotta stop him before he does that."

"I saw a new side of Melissa today, and now I think I'm seeing a new side out of Serena," Artemis said.

"Last year was when he started going after Reenie. It didn't start just now, but the more I think about it, the more I...she's someone I would die for."

"You and Reenie have been pretty close since she came back, too."

"She showed me all that she was taught by Neo Queen Serenity, and what she taught herself. She even made me master some moves. I thought she pulled my arm out of socket the other day. Then all the times we worked together as Sailors. She even helped me put together my outfit for that date I had with Darien a few weeks ago. I never thought she would ever be able to stand me, but..."

"Future was changed when Rubeus escaped the UFO," Luna interrupted. "Pluto told us about that."

"If I never knew that Rubeus went after her and tried to kill her, then I may have never..."

"Melissa?" Serena asked.

"She was the reason I second guessed Metaria. I would've still been in her grasp if I never knew about it, or if he didn't try it."

"She also helped you in getting Sammy to forgive Ikuko for her negligence," Luna added.

"She's been there for me, even when I didn't know she was. If he ever hurt her..."

"We can't think of that right now, though," Raye interjected. "What we need to do is to make sure we stop him from doing whatever he is planning on Tokyo Hills."

Lita could see Melissa's fists shaking. "Melissa?"

"No! No! No! I'm sorry, Serena, but I can't allow you to go out there and do something stupid."

"What?" Luna yelled. "Now I'm wondering about this, Melissa. You're basing this off of pure speculation."

"I know, but there is just something about this that is bothering me. All this talk about wanting to kill Reenie for whatever reason, and now he just abandons that for another fight with you?"

"I know what you're saying, Melissa," Casto said. "Maybe I can go to her place alone. That way, someone is at least checking it out."

"I don't know about that," Artemis answered. "He seems real sure of himself this time. It's like he knows what he wants to do. He's too confident."

"Which is why we should just play the cowards this time and not give him the luxury," Melissa growled.

"One thing I never knew from you, Melissa, is to back down from a fight."

"I've never felt like this, either."

"We have to go, though," Mina proclaimed. "We can't just let Rubeus have his way. What if he knows how to scorch Tokyo like he wanted to do with Inferntoad?"

"Or cause a nuclear explosion like what Meltdown wanted to do?" Amy asked.

"Maybe he wants to collapse the city like he tried to do with Jackal?" Raye said.

"Or just bomb the holy high hell out of things like Eruptor wanted?" Casto added.

"Perhaps he actually drained Vampress' powers for himself?" Luna mentioned.

"Maybe Polyer's sick mind got transferred into Rubeus' already warped thoughts?" Darien pointed out.

"Or cause a flash flood and strike lightning like Hammerthor was doing?" Artemis said.

"Or cause the same mass chaos like him and Drillbit caused?" Serena asked. "We are sitting ducks if we don't do anything."

"Or maybe he's thought of something new that we're not considering yet," Melissa objected.

"You're paranoid, Melissa," Mina smiled. "We can take him. Remember, we're the Sailor Soldiers. We were the ones that beat you that one time, remember? And you weren't an easy target to take out. Trust us, Rubeus isn't that smart. C'mon, girls...well, and Casto; let's make Rubeus wish he never messed with the Sailors!"

"Right!" the other Sailors proclaimed in unison before marching out of the Shrine.

Serena was to be the last one out of the Shrine when Melissa stopped beside her. "Serena, please think this through. I know I'm not the first person you would go to for advice, but I'm telling you, I'm not liking what I'm feeling."

"Listen, Melissa," Serena replied, "I believe that you're sincere. I trust you. At the same time, if I don't take this opportunity, we may not get another chance. I know you're worried. That's normal of us. We don't know what we're walking into, and that scares me, too. But we still need to fight, even if the task may be scary. I'm the scared cat, usually, but I've gotten better at using the fear to my advantage. That just tells you to be more careful and watch out for things. You have the fear now that he might take us off guard. That's why we're all going. Don't worry too much, Melissa. We'll be safe, especially for you." She smiled as she ran out of the Shrine.

'_No, Serena, that's not the fear I'm talking about,_' Melissa thought. '_This fear...I don't think he's even after you. Please, rethink this!_' Despite her fears, Melissa took off after them.

**-xXXXXx-**

For what it was worth, even though the trees were losing their leaves to the fall battle, Tokyo Hills' flat were just as peaceful as they had been since the Sailors were last there. They were geared up from head to toe as they ran to the exact spot where Serena battled her mother.

"It's a waiting game now," Vulture said.

"What time is it?" Mercury asked.

"Right at eight," Mars answered. She was moving her head back and forth. "No sign of him yet."

"Maybe you were right, Melissa. Something wasn't right about this." Jupiter laughed. "Perhaps he was too scared of us to stay true to his word."

"Actually," Melissa answered, "that's not that funny. Well, not the type of funny you're thinking of."

"Yeah," Venus agreed. "She has a point. Rubeus has usually been early for these types of challenges. Something _does_ seem a bit off."

"Casto," Luna asked, "are you sure it's eight o'clock?"

"Eight o'one now, but I'm positive."

"It's more than sundown now," Artemis added. "Full moon tonight."

"Where are you, Rubeus?" Moon yelled. "This better _not _be one of your games. I know you too well."

The Sailors looked around every tree, branch, bush, and beyond every hill. There was still no sign of Rubeus to be seen. The Sailors convened at the center of the flat.

"So...he's a no show," Jupiter concluded.

"Could say that," Mars agreed.

"We should just go back home, then," Luna said. "It's five after, if my mental watch is correct. If he isn't here by now, then..."

"Oh, my God!" Melissa gasped.

"What is it?"

"At home! I was wondering about that."

"About what, Melissa?" Serena asked.

"We were talking about Reenie right before I tried to convince you guys not to come. And..."

"Wait, don't tell me..."

"This got us as far away as he could get us from..."

"_REENIE_!" Serena screamed as she bolted from the flat and down the hill to the street.

"My God!" Mars gasped. "You mean the trap was..."

**-xXXXXx-**

Sammy was looking out the window of his room as he was trying to relax his bum leg. He could feel the back of his thigh still throbbing, and the blood was warmer there than it was in the rest of his body. Well, at least it felt like it.

As he turned around, he saw Reenie come into his room and shut the door. "Hey, bud!"

"Hi, Reenie!"

"You still all right?"

"Yeah, I'll live. Though it feels weird. The wound healed, I thought, but the tingling sensation is still there. It doesn't hurt."

"I had that kind of wound one time. When I was training. I caught my arm on one of the dummies that didn't have its arm in place, and I tore the skin on the forearm. I think I may still have the scar from it." Reenie pulled up her left sleeve to reveal a huge red mark from her elbow to her shoulder.

"Damn, Reenie. You're hardcore about it, aren't you?"

"The more you do it, the more you get used to it, though I don't know if I could get used to the scars. I've been able to block out the pain most of the time, to the point where I could be bleeding and I won't even feel it, but that time, I did."

"Did you cry?"

"A little. More like a tear or two because I was trying to brace it, but not a real 'help, I'm hurt' kind of thing."

"How long ago was this?"

"About..."

"No, not again!" they heard Ikuko scream from downstairs.

"What the...?"

"Sammy, stay here." Reenie walked over to the door and put an ear on it.

"Where is she?" That voice sent chills down her spine.

"My God, does he ever give up?"

"Who?"

"Serena isn't here," they heard Ikuko yell out. It was followed by a series of thuds.

Downstairs, Ikuko was throwing punch after punch at Rubeus, who was in front of a broken door. "You're not going to harm my family again!" she screamed as she punched his gut. She kneed him in the face as he doubled over, though it only made him stagger back a few steps.

"Feisty little bitch, are you?" Rubeus sneered.

"Feisty is one word for it, and I _am_ a bitch! Just not _yours_!"

"Wow! I didn't know you had it in you. Too bad I always get what I want! I'm not after Serena. Well, in a way I am, but it's not why I'm here."

"No one's getting into this house uninvited that easily anymore." Ikuko tried to kick Rubeus again, but he caught her ankle and shoved her over the love seat, her neck violently colliding with the coffee table. Though she was able to move, for which she was thankful, she was unable to stop Rubeus from bolting up the steps. '_Kenji, where the hell are you? Serena? Melissa?_'

**-xXXXXx-**

Sailor Moon was weaving through oncoming traffic and pedestrians, almost knocking some of the walkers over to get through them, in order to get to her house.

"Rubeus, if you put your hands on her again, I swear to God, I _will_ kill you! You have not even seen my darkest side yet!"

She jumped over a parked car to get across the last bit of road and turned the corner into an alley. She experienced a small feeling of déjà vu, as she swore she traversed down the very same alleyway before: when she was trying to rush to her house from the Tokyo Tower. She hadn't been Sailor Moon then, but this time, she had full power, yet she didn't feel as such.

"I can't believe I fell for it! We all did!" She continued to sprint to home.

**-xXXXXx-**

The other Sailors were crammed into Darien's sports car, with Casto taking the front seat, and the cats in between the two front seats sitting on Venus's lap. The other four were in the back, trying to get as much leg room as possible as Darien tried to get through the still busy traffic.

"What's going on, Darien?" Casto panicked.

"The entire city is out _now_?" Darien responded.

"Melissa," Jupiter said, "we all owe you an apology. We should've seen this coming."

"What's going on, actually?" Venus asked.

"Reenie's his target," Melissa answered. "He brought us all to that spot so we would be far away from her house. That's all he needed."

"And that was his plan all along," Artemis added. "Yes, we should've known there was an ulterior motive to what he was planning."

"If anything happens to her, it's my fault," Melissa growled as her fists trembled. "I should've tried harder to stop you from going."

"No, it's our fault for not listening," Luna objected. '_Maybe it was because I didn't trust you enough to know when you were trying to warn us._'

"C'mon," Darien grumbled as he pounded on the car horn. "Why does it have to be backed up now? The hell is going on up there?"

"Raye," Casto said, "get up to the front seat. I'll make it faster on foot." Before anyone else could object, he was already out the door and on the sidewalk, long gone before anyone could get their eyes on him.

"Oh God, Casto, be careful," Melissa pleaded.

"He will be, I hope," Darien replied. "He's right in how fast he can run. I just hope it's not too late."

"Rubeus," Melissa snarled, "I told you that I would kill you if you harmed Reenie again, and I will hold true to that."

"Melissa, I want to crush him, too! C'_mon_!" He blasted the horn repeatedly, so much that other drivers started to cuss him out. The cars had moved only an inch within the past minute or so, and his car was surrounded by other vehicles. "The hell's taking so long?" Darien screamed out of his window.

"Small accident because a girl was fleeing from something," another male from Darien's side said. "Swerved to keep from hitting her. I think it could've been Sailor Moon, but I only..."

"My God!" Darien gasped. "She's causing all of this? She couldn't be."

"No," Melissa objected. "The Moon Princess never acted out of rage before. Not even towards me. Serena, please, don't do anything stupid. Let us help you."

'_Though I agree with you,_' Luna thought, '_I'm afraid it's too late to do anything now._'

**-xXXXXx-**

Reenie was trying to get up to the attic to retrieve her brooch. It was the one thing she needed to transform, and she had left it there only briefly to change into her nightgown when she decided to check on Sammy beforehand. As she cursed herself for leaving it there, she ran towards the attic steps, only to be stopped by a male voice.

"Reenie," Rubeus cackled, "just who I was looking for."

"You must think I'm some pushover if you're looking for me, Rubeus," she yelled.

"You forget, Reenie. I have all the answers. You're just a failure." He held his arms out and shot out a double beam. She ducked underneath and jumped up to kick him. However, as she was about to do so, he quickly took out his Hizrounswa Gun and shot her dead center in the chest. Her collision with the floor was with force, and her face was slightly scarred, with a trickle of blood coming from the cut that had formed on the bridge of her nose.

"How's that scar on your arm now, Reenie?" Rubeus said as he stepped on her back arm and pushed down on it with his foot. She could feel the pain shooting down the entire arm. She couldn't stop him, as she continued to feel her body burning up inside.

"Stop it," Reenie screamed. "Can't you fight fair?"

"Oh, you forgot, Reenie! You never have fought fair! You blindsided me at Tokyo Hills. Ikuko would still be mine if you had minded your own damn business. Now, you die!"

He began to pull the trigger on the Hizrounswa Gun again when he got hit by a crutch. He stepped off of Reenie's arm as he dodged a few more swipes from Sammy.

"What the hell?"

"Leave us and her alone already!" he cried. "Haven't you done enough?"

Rubeus only answered with a kick to Sammy's leg. It made him collapse, and Rubeus bent down to pick up the crutch when he saw Reenie try to get back to her feet. He shot her in the back with level three of his gun again, and she could feel nothing but darkness as she also felt a hard strike on the back of her head. She collapsed unconsciously, with small drops of crimson soiling the carpet from the nose and now her arm.

"Now, for level six. It's so anti-climatic when you think about it, isn't it?" Rubeus turned the gun's level up as high as it would go, and pointed it right at the child Sailor.

However, just as he was ready to fire, he heard a very familiar voice scream, "_DO IT AND DIE_!_"_

_"_Sailor Moon!" Rubeus smiled as he looked down from the balcony. She stood with her feet planted in a battle stance, and her legs spread apart as she looked up at her enemy. "How nice of you to drop...!"

"Let her go!" she growled. "It's me you want, not her!"

"You're right! It _is_ you I want, but this little kid will do just fine! I just need some goddamned privacy!" He hoisted the limp Reenie onto his shoulder. "She can't do anything about it now, and neither can your family."

"She still can!" Ikuko screamed as she ran up beside Sailor Moon. "She's my daughter, and she's kicked your ass before!"

"I told you before, you sick bitch, shut the hell up!"

Sailor Moon jolted and tackled Ikuko hard to the carpet. She heard the sound of a laser beam whiz behind her. No, make that a shot from the Hizrounswa Gun.

"Serena?" Ikuko gasped as she saw her daughter's face and felt the heavy breaths on her skin.

"So long, Serena!" Rubeus waved as he took Reenie with him into Sammy's room.

Serena jumped back to her feet and raced up the steps, seeing her brother trying to get back up. "My God!" She quickly rushed into Sammy's room and saw Rubeus jump out of the open window with Reenie in tow. She raced to the window, but it was too late, as she couldn't find Rubeus anywhere.

"Reenie! _REENIE_!"

* * *

The next chapter will be the final one for War Games. I'll also begin the next phase of the Silver Project Saga after that. Thanks to youroctober for helping me with this story and the Saga so far. Without her, this story and Saga would not be possible.

Good night, and good luck.

WAR GAMES

CHAPTER 15

Written by Darkpower

Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)

_  
Patricia Haruna stood in the School Authority Hall, at the provided brown desk in front. It was as if she was standing trial for a murder given how the Hall was designed. However, she was standing in front of eleven board members who would soon decide her fate, as if they hadn't made up their minds already. She had hoped that they would at least hear her out.

"I, head of Authority, Mister Roku Uematsu, will begin this hearing on your potential forced resignation."

The man bringing the hearing to order looked as though he could've been a member of a military group. He was clean shaven, had a towering figure, and short, buzzed hair. He looked a lot younger when compared with the rest of the group, as well.

"Potential forced resignation?" Haruna scolded. "I was told that it was either I resign or I would be let go."

"We said potential for a reason, Miss Haruna," Miss Hanoi, the female with red lipstick who sat at the right hand corner seat of the long bench, answered with a strikingly audacious tone. "When you have as much history as you have had with this panel, I don't think you have any right to be questioning our motives."

"That's why I'm here, though, am I not?"

"Yes, you are," a short male said from the opposite corner. "But at the same time, we did not ask for you to debate this ruling."

"Well, I am, because I have something to say."

"We know you do," the elderly Mister Koppa said into one of the eleven microphones as he held a manila folder up in his left hand. "You seem to always have some type of excuse. However, I have here in my hand a folder that contains all the records of what you've accomplished over the years." He put the folder down and opened it. Haruna could hear the sounds of ruffled papers echo through the microphone. "We know the obvious crime. You have failed to tell us about your pupils. Serena Sommers is one of the many cases where we have not heard of any action taken. Not only this year, but in years past."

"Mister Koppa, I think you will also see that her grades were improving this year. She has had a renewed interest in school, and she has come along well."

"How do you expect us to believe that," a female with a perm beside Uematsu asked, "when as soon as you went absent from injury, Serena's grades went from A's to F's?"

"That's because of Mister Koa," Serena said as she shot up out of her seat.

"And why are you here with her today?" Koppa asked.

"Because I can vouch for her. She's done nothing wrong. She's punished me before, and yes, I didn't like it. But I improved because she's there, and I know she's looking out for my best interests, even when I didn't think she was."

"You went from A's to F's. How can we not suspect something suspicious in those grades?"

Koppa's words made Patricia fume. "Now wait a minute, sir. Are you seriously thinking that I would fabricate something like that? You're saying that I would suddenly give straight A's to a student who didn't deserve it?"

"Well, we have noticed a change of behavior that Serena has been experiencing. And, according to the Mister Harold Koa that Serena is saying is the reason behind her sudden drop, it was a bad influence given to her by her brother. Did you know that he was trying to start fights with Mister Koa, Patricia?"

"Mister Koa has a past of trying to provoke his students. You were the ones who sided with him when the students all said that he struck one of his students."

"Because we found out that no one speaking on the student's behalf was actually in the classroom at that time. Only the testimonies of those who were in class that day could be accepted, and you know there was a huge assignment due on the day the incident was said to happen..."

"No, sir, that's a bunch of bull and you know it!" Serena interrupted.

"You _will_ show respect to this school board, Miss Sommers," Hanoi screamed, "or you _will_ be ejected from this room. Do you hear me?"

"Serena," Patricia whispered as she used her hands to instruct her pupil, "settle down."

"Do as she says, Serena," the male on the far left side agreed. "As if you listen to your elders, anyway. You are still in school despite your low grades in past semesters. It's a wonder you're even allowed to skip class to join this hearing."

"Because, sir," Serena began.

"What did I tell you, Miss Sommers?" Hanoi once more yelled. "Stay quiet! No one gave you any permission to speak!"

"How can I defend myself, then?"

"Simple: you _don't_!"

Patricia now was the one who rocketed to her feet. "That's just absurd. You're laying all these accusations on me and one of my students, and you don't even give her a chance to explain her side of things?"

"She doesn't have any right to be here, Patricia. You should be so lucky that we're not shipping her back to school."

"But she...?"

"Sit down and shut up until you..."

"Miss Hanoi," Mister Koppa interrupted. "With all due respect, I'm interested to hear what Serena has to say. May not change anything, but she's always entertaining."

"Entertaining?" Haruna asked.

Serena, however, stood up once more. "Ever since last summer, I've had a lot happen to me. My family was attacked by a madman for no reason. My brother and I were reunited, only to have him doubt himself and people threatening him time after time. My mother was abducted by the same madman who put my younger brother into the ICU, with only a slim chance to survive. I thank whatever god exists that he did. Yes, I've had some anger of mine that I've shown, but look at what I have had to deal with. Despite that, however, I've begun to really think about what I want to be when I graduate and leave the school. I want to be able to do that, and because of that, I've been trying my best. But ever since Mister Koa became the substitute teacher for Patty, I..."

"No, Serena," Hanoi interrupted, "you _will_ address..."

"Ma'am," Patricia answered, "it's fine. She's allowed to."

"You mean you allow your students to disrespect our rules? Not that you follow them, anyway."

Serena gazed at Hanoi intensely, and then continued. "Anyway, since he stepped into the school, Mister Koa has turned the entire place on its head. Patty is correct: he had instigated a lot of what made my brother snap the way he did." She looked back to see Darien and Casto sitting at the middle bench of the spectator area, to her right. "I was there when one of the incidents happened. He tried as hard as he could to blame him for all the troubles in the school. Another friend of mine has had him brainwash her mother into thinking that it would be best to restrict her from basically living her life because of lies he's obviously told her about my brother. He tried to do the same to another one of my friends."

"I suspect this is Molly Baker and Melvin Gurio that you're discussing?" Koppa asked. Serena nodded. "Well, now, I do know that Melvin got attacked yesterday, though I don't think that is what you're concerned about as it pertains to this hearing, though I do wish him a speedy recovery. That being said, though, I do agree with Hanoi that your way of addressing Miss Haruna isn't preferable."

"When it's outside of the school," Patricia said, "I am more relaxed about things like that."

"Yes, outside of school," the gray haired woman with the puffy perm responded. "That's the main thing we're concerned about on top of everything else. We've heard that some of the noise you've made in your complex has made your neighbors file several complaints with the landlord."

"The same landlord that didn't like me from the beginning, Missus Tenio."

"I would say he would have good reason, then."

"He fished around for anything he can find on me to get me to leave. But if you notice, ma'am, the complaints stopped when he sold the complex to a new owner, and the only thing he has been concerned about with me is that I've been behind on the rent that I have to pay him. He's been kind to me for this long, but I'm afraid he's beginning to run out of patience. This is why I've come to defend my position."

"You like the money?"

"No, ma'am. I _need_ the money. But not just that. It's also because I love to teach these kids. No, I'm not perfect. But what teacher is?"

"You don't show it outside of the classroom, though!"

"Why should it matter how I act outside of the classroom?"

"It shows that you're serious about your profession. If you're partying all night, before a school day, then what does that say about who you are?"

"Ma'am," they heard Darien say as he stood up from his spot, "if I may say something?"

"What is this?" Miss Hanoi yelled out furiously. "We are not going to be turning this into a circus for you, Patricia. Sir, sit down or you will be held in..."

"_Enough_, Miss Hanoi," Uematsu yelled. "Our rules on these hearings state that anyone who asks for permission to speak is to be granted such as long as the words are held to the topic and it remains on the record. Anything that will help us render an ultimate verdict is welcome. What is your name, sir?"

"Darien Shields," he said as he approached the desk. "I had not been in school during the time Miss Haruna has taught, but I was in an orphanage she was working at. She was nothing but kind to me and to the other children she had the privilege to run into within the orphanage. She helped me get back on my feet when I was at my worst. Trust me, sir, she would not just be going out and doing the things you are accusing her of doing."

"How can we believe you?" Hanoi asked. "You were trying to rudely interject yourself into this hearing, and it's only on Uematsu's suggestion that we are allowing this."

"Then you should look into the history she has in the school. Not just the negative, but also the positive. You're trying to find an excuse to expel her."

"Now you listen here, Mister Shields!" Hanoi foamed. "I've had enough of the three of you trying to make a damn mockery of the School Authority. We have a lot of prestige and tradition, and what you, Serena, and Patricia are doing is just spitting in the face of us and the people who have helped lay the foundation for what we have accomplished over the years. We are not going to let some woman who's allowing her students free reign over this district to let her entourage take over these hearings. I don't know about any of them, but I will come down there and remove you from this room myself if it should come to that. I don't think anyone in here would mind me doing that, actually."

Darien clenched a fist, firing his pupils right at Hanoi. "I knew it! You got too offended at that claim for me to not think there is something to it."

"Mister Shields," Koppa said. "You have to admit, though, that this is hard to believe without some hard, factual evidence that can support what you say about her time in the orphanage."

"What do you want me to do, sir? I don't have access to that kind of stuff."

"You must have something to show us if you were ready to make such a claim."

"How long do these hearings usually last?"

"Depending on how long it takes to reach a verdict, about a couple of days."

"I can see what I can get, then."

"I want to also say," Serena added, "that I would be even more of a basket case now if it wasn't for Patty. The reason why I call her that is because of the help she's given me outside of the classroom. I must tell you that I was close to killing the man who almost killed my little brother and kidnapped my mom. I didn't know what else to do, and I knew she was willing to help me, so I decided to seek her guidance. She's been there for me whenever I needed her, so much so that my entire family was saddened when she was attacked by that monster. You don't know how much my classes all miss her." Serena began weeping. "I don't know about any of you, but to me, nothing will be able to take her away from the soul of that school."

"Yes, Miss Sommers," Tenio answered. "I can see that you adore Miss Haruna very much. You know, I'm not going to sit here and say that I know that any of our suspicions are not unfounded. There are things we ourselves do not agree with as a whole about the details of this case. I do, however, find it difficult to think that someone who does not act the way we all think a qualified teacher should act could possibly be this reveled by the students in the school."

"I said it before. I'm not perfect," Haruna replied. "However, even you on the school board have to agree that there is a line between when there is work time, and when you have to get away from it all for a moment. There are times, I do admit, that I have burnout from all the work I do. However, I feel as though that the times I spend for myself energize me to do my work at my best ability. Everyone in this room has acted in a way you call immature. Even you on the board have acted excited, laughed, let loose. You can't be thinking about your job all day, every day."

"But you told us that this _is_ your life."

"Yes, I did, Missus Tenio, and I stand by it. It's all I know how to do. I love these kids. They are inspiration for me, and they show me how much they appreciate it by supporting me in the ways that they do. They have begun to stand up against the substitute teacher that you put in my place, and stand by me when they think I'm not being treated fairly. This is my life, I know."

"Then burnout from something you live for?"

"No one can possibly be able to carry on one action at every moment of every day," Serena answered. "I love my family to death, but that doesn't mean I don't want some time to myself at some point. Who doesn't need a break from time to time? I'm sure you all have had times when you needed to get away from it all and just relax."

"When you grind yourself too much," Darien added, "you become fatigued and less focused and less able to do what is asked of you. I agree with Serena."

"That's called not being dedicated," Miss Hanoi answered.

"I can see that there is some tension between the Board and you, Miss Haruna," Uematsu said. "I do believe that it will not be easy to convince us that it would be in our best interests to reinstate you. However, given your dedication and reasoning behind why you are willing to state your case, I do believe that it is something we can all agree that we want to hear more about. I want to know more about this tension that you have with the board and some of the disagreements you have with the board on some of the more recent decisions. However, it would have to be after a lunch break. Seeing as how we were obviously late due to the tardy arrival of Miss Haruna, for whatever the reason was, we have to cut this half short. We'll reconvene here in an hour to pick up where we left off. Please try your best to not be late this time, Patricia." Uematsu rose to his feet along with the rest of the panel and began heading for a back door.

"My God," Serena whispered. "And I thought just the look of this place felt like you committed a crime."

"I've seen a lot of crime dramas on television lately," Darien said. "Seems like they got a lot of their ideas from the shows."

"Yes, they think this is just some game where they can do whatever they want," Patricia answered. "They don't really care that lives are at stake here. But if they want to hear what I think of them, they are going to hear it."

Meanwhile, by the back door, Hanoi and Tenio met as they passed through.

"What do you think so far, Hanoi?" Tenio asked.

"She isn't going to go down without a fight, but give her time. The cracks will show."

"You still want Harold to be the teacher there, don't you?"

"He deserves it, and I'll do what I can to make sure he gets it."

"Just be careful. Some people seemed to pick up on your stubbornness fairly quickly."

"Not too worried about it, Fuumi. I actually want to hear what Patricia has to say about us."

"Me, too, Juno."

Rubeus had transported himself to the fountain of Juuban Park. It was where he had killed Pandora, and he smiled upon thinking about it. However, as he stared into the rippling water within the white, three row fountain, he quickly became enraged again.

"This is actually where it all started," he said to himself as he swirled his hand around in the drink. "I only made my first move in the Sommers' household. This place was where Serena told me that it was on. She acknowledged my pure strength and power. If she didn't, I would've probably never had thought to find the Hizrounswa."

He looked back to the one tree that was missing a branch. "Yes, I could've ended it here, Casto. I could've killed you then and there, Reenie. I could've taken you out, Melissa. Every single one of you could've been dead right now. Instead, I'm left wondering why I'm actually following orders. I've never done that for a single time in my life. Not even to the Doom Phantom. That damn fool never knew that I was playing him. _I_ was the _true_ ruler of the Black Moon Family! _Not_ Phantom, and it _sure_ as hell wasn't that punk Diamond!"

He began pacing around the empty park. He could feel the cool air hit his bare arms as he strolled underneath the overpass. "Yes, it all started here, but I could've also ended it here, too. Several times. All this pain just to get someone to come back and have themselves absorbed into Metaria. I don't want to let her down. I don't want her to think that she cannot trust me, but at the same time, I cannot allow this to go on. We have to let people know that we're serious about our goals. And to do that, we have to make a statement, and we have to do it now. I'm sorry, Metaria, but your plan to bring Queen Beryl back to the Dark Kingdom cannot happen at this rate. We cannot predict human behavior, and we cannot predict if she will ever show up to witness a death. Hell, maybe she doesn't even _have _to." His eyes shot open as he snickered. "Hell yes! Why am I worried about if she sees me kill her? All she has to know is that I _did_ kill her. I don't need any Youmas for that. And I think I have the perfect solution for killing three, maybe four, birds at once." He disappeared with a loud cackle.

"In other news," the anchor on Cocilio News said, "it seems like a trial for a murder, but instead, it's a trial for one woman's teaching job. Miss Patricia Haruna faces a panel of eleven on the School Authority Board. The purpose? That she retains her job after coming back from a rib injury that nearly took her life. She says they unfairly took action for trivial matters at a bad time. The Board says that the timing was just a coincidence, and that Patricia's teaching methods and behavior outside of class are the reasons for the dismissal. Joining us now is the former school board member, Mister Kodo Tusumi. Tusumi, I have to say that the way I'm seeing the case, the Board could make this open and shut. Could they?"

Watching the afternoon talk show were Ikuko Sommers in her home and on her couch. However, sitting right beside her was a curious Melissa Beryl.

"Yeah, I don't see the Board budging no matter what she tries to say to them," answered the pudgy, elderly man. "I was a part of that board for a few years before retiring, and I have to say, it's hard for them to have their minds changed for anyone."

"But I read her records, and from what I've seen, you have to admit that they have a good chance to really put the final nail in her coffin. Loud noises at night, what some could call a 'scatter mind', failure to report accurate grades. This is a very tarnished record, if I say so myself."

"No it isn't," Melissa steamed. "Why do you watch this crap, Ikuko?"

"I usually don't," Ikuko answered. "It's just what was on when I turned it on. Sammy was watching it to see what that whole thing at the park was about, he said."

"I don't know if I could call it tarnished," Tusumi answered the slim anchor. "I would call it unusual for a teacher, but it's nothing bad, at least from my angle."

"Nothing bad? She's probably having these wild parties in an apartment complex, in the middle of the school night, and that's 'nothing bad'?"

"It just says loud noises, which could mean anything, Buka. It could mean that the room isn't insulated well enough, or that whoever reported that has a chip on their shoulder towards her. No one knows if she's having wild parties."

"No, all right! These are children we're talking about here, and this woman was supposed to show an example. She needs to be taught the hard way—and this is going to be the hard way—that this behavior, and letting the bad apples that were populating her classes influence her decisions, will not fly!"

"Now you're just being silly here, Buka. Look, those who have met her will tell you that she knows what she's doing. She has a lot of people who will tell you that she is an angel and has touched those who have met her. She holds an honor's degree in teaching English to the kids at Juuban Junior High, and those who have taken her classes have came out at the end being almost as fluent in the language as she is. Universities have tried to get her to teach their classes. I'm not sure how that could happen if she showed favoritism or had these wild parties that..."

"These are children, and I'm beginning to think that you don't give a damn about these kids who try as hard as they can, and cannot get a break because this teacher is too nice."

"Would you rather have someone who isn't going to even listen to anyone and make up lies about hitting a student, because that's who they..."

"Hey, don't start on Mister Koa. He's a godsend of a teacher, and if anyone can straighten up those idiots who make it tough on the others that actually give a hoot about their schoolwork, it will be him. Don't disrespect how he teaches, or you're gone from this show, do you..."

The TV was turned off, and Melissa tossed the remote, with a loud thud, on the coffee table in front of her.

"Melissa?"

"Can't listen to that shit anymore, Ikuko! Mister Koa is a godsend teacher? All I had to do was bump into the guy, and I already had those bad vibes."

"You saw him?"

"When trying to catch up with you that day you went after Rubeus. I could've sworn he was a Dark Kingdom person with those vibes. How can someone who sends that much evil be a godsend teacher? I should've knocked him out with the things I've heard about him."

"Was that the guy Casto wanted you to spy on?"

"Yeah," Melissa answered as she slowly rose to her feet. "I was thinking of saying no, but then I heard about this town and how badly they need to be told how to be considerate."

Ikuko gasped softly as she rose to meet Melissa, who had rested her arms along the mantle. "Well, I'm sorry that you had to watch that. I wasn't even planning on watching a second of that biased network, I was about to change it when I heard you knock. Which...reminds me to ask what brought you here."

"Well, for one, I wanted to make sure you were okay after the other day. Obviously, you're fine."

"Yes, you could say that."

Melissa pivoted from the mantle. "What the hell were you thinking, Ikuko? I was worried sick that you weren't going to make it with your life."

"I'm sorry, Melissa. It's just that ever since I found out that my daughter's Sailor Moon, I've become more protective of my family than ever before. That, and..."

As Melissa listened to Ikuko, neither saw Luna jump down to the middle step as she listened in.

"You should be protective of them regardless, Ikuko," Melissa said. "But what else was there?"

"When he attacked my family, I accidentally neglected to check on Sammy. He hated me for it."

"How did you neglect him?"

"I was helping my husband with his wounds when Serena mentioned Sammy. I didn't think he was in the house, but when she said that, it sent chills down my back. I never once did such a thing, but Sammy didn't let me forget it for a while. I should've never done that, Melissa. I should've made sure my husband would be okay and then checked on Sammy. I should've been there for my son first."

"Didn't Kenji mention to you that you should check on him?"

"He was too wounded to think straight. I'm not going to blame him for that. I blame myself for what happened that day, and I think Serena sometimes doubts herself. She never says it, but I can see it. She blames herself because she could've said that she was Sailor Moon sooner."

"How would it be her fault because of it? She kept it hidden for this long, and as far as I know, we never attacked your family. At least not like that!"

'I_ don't know about that, Melissa,_' Luna thought. '_You had a lot of opportunities to.'_

"But since then, I've become more determined to never let it happen again, and when you told me that Rubeus was after Sammy again, my heart felt like it stopped beating. I couldn't let that ever happen again."

"And it won't. Rubeus is someone, though, who you cannot take lightly."

"Yes, I knew that. It was apparent the second he tried to kill my family."

"And he won't hesitate to do that again if he was given the opportunity. Ikuko," Melissa said as she turned her friend around and held her shoulders, "she needs you! She doesn't need you to get killed because you tried to be a hero when you shouldn't be. I know you want to protect your family, and that's good. But Rubeus is very powerful, and he could very well hurt you again."

"Yeah, especially when he abducted me and taunted me like he did. I had him by the balls then, I can assure you."

Melissa stepped back as she heard the small snicker come out of Ikuko. "Huh?"

"You obviously knew I went after him the other day. You probably didn't hear me return the favor, though, did you?'

Melissa's eyes widened as she remembered what Ikuko said the other night to Rubeus: "_'"Rubeus, as long as you don't harm my family, you can have me. Do whatever you want to me. Abuse me, kill me. Hell, make love to me if you want to! I know you want me! I could see it in your eyes when you slapped me and choked me on that pipe. You fell in love with me. Don't deny it. C'mon, Rubeus.'_"

"Wait, you did, didn't you? You_ did_ hear me say those things!"

"In more than one way, Ikuko," Melissa sighed. "It threw me off guard."

"D-Does...Serena know?"

"I don't think she does. I never told her anything."

Ikuko suddenly shot her hands to Melissa's shoulders and lightly shook her, with her left foot coming out of her pink slipper while getting more leverage when doing so. "Please don't! I don't want Serena knowing about that side of me. I know I was controlled by Rubeus that day, but I never was during any other time when I taunted him. If she ever knew that I..."

"Relax, Ikuko," Melissa interrupted as she rested Ikuko back down, "I'm not gonna tell her."

"I don't need her thinking that her own mother is some crazed, perverted psycho or something."

"C'mon, Ikuko. Don't be like that. Your secret is safe with me, okay? Sit down and relax!"

Melissa directed Ikuko back to her couch, but Ikuko tried to turn back. "My slipper. It's..."

"Leave it! Just sit down. You're getting all worked up about nothing."

As Ikuko sat down with Melissa sitting next to her, she rested her head back on the cushion. "I don't know if I even can again. I hate feeling so powerless. I want to have some sort of power."

"You have a lot of it, Ikuko."

"But I sometimes feel as though it's not enough. I want the strength that you and Serena have. I have you, her, Casto, Reenie, and your friends who are, in a way, protecting _me_, when I feel like it should be the other way around."

"Trust me, Ikuko, you don't want that kind of power."

"Why not?"

"Because, it then beckons a load of responsibility to know how and when to use it. Things happened to me that I thought I could overcome with just more power. But it isn't just power. It's what you do with it, and I forgot that lesson."

Ikuko kicked the other slipper off her foot and rested her head against Melissa's shoulder. "What did you need it for?"

Though Melissa didn't say anything about it, she felt a bit awkward at feeling Ikuko's breath on her. "Because I didn't think I could protect the people I served anymore after a few incidents I had to stop from happening."

"Can you tell me sometime about those?"

"Maybe some other time. Why is your head on my shoulder?"

"I feel safer knowing that I have friends like you, and that my daughter has such good friends."

"Well, I did tell you to relax. But I didn't think that you would choose that shoulder to...Ikuko?" She looked to her friend, who had fallen asleep. "Ah, not again. At least last time I didn't have to free my arm without waking someone. Am I boring? Middle of the afternoon?"

"She must've worn herself out with how panicked she was," Melissa heard Luna say as she turned to see the feline jump onto the end table.

"Luna!" Melissa jumped as she then carefully laid Ikuko's head onto the arm of the couch. "I didn't think you were even here. I'm sorry if I'm intruding."

"Oh, no! Like Raye, I have a hard time trusting you still, but I'm not going to restrict anyone like she almost did."

"I heard about that," Melissa answered as she laid Ikuko's feet onto the couch. "And I didn't expect Serena's guardian to forgive me so easily."

"Well, I just need more time, that's all. It's not like I'm trying to make excuses. I just can't see how Serena and Casto are as forgiving as they are towards people."

"Maybe it's because they have big hearts. Like what I used to have before I joined up with that witch."

"You don't have one now?"

"I want to think I do, but after I got backstabbed by those I thought I could trust and got used by her, it's hard to open it back up as easily. It's like you in not forgiving me or trusting me that easily because of what I did."

As she saw Melissa move towards the window, Luna took a deep sigh before asking, "Melissa, if I can ask you this, did you feel any remorse about what you did? You know, while you were controlled by Metaria."

"Yes, I did. In fact, every single order she gave me, I questioned in my mind and heart. No one ever wants to actually do those things when it comes down to it."

"But brainwashing would void you of any knowledge of you doing those things!"

"No, it wasn't the kind of brainwashing you're thinking of. It's like this: you get told that you have to do something in order to achieve a goal. You first refuse because you know it's wrong, but then the person just sweetens the deal. You refuse and refuse, all before the offerer makes an ultimatum, in which you do what they want or else. It's more like blackmail, but you're brainwashed in a way that you don't think it is. You know it's wrong, but you feel as though you have no other choice, and for a while, you like it because you think you're in control. But it soon becomes a matter where you have to not show weakness while doing things you know you're going to cry yourself to sleep over later on. That woman, if released, has power that I could not even begin to describe. I don't know how much power she consumes within that egg, and I don't want to think about if she was ever released. The more I fed her, the more I wanted to break that damn thing before she was ready to be hatched."

"Can I ask you another question, then?"

"Yeah!"

"What was it like before Metaria entered your life? I heard something about your family when you were fighting Eruptor, but I didn't believe it at first."

"My parents died in a shuttle crash when I was only ten. I couldn't believe it, but I had to assume the queen position early. It wasn't until some years later that Metaria came to D-Point. I loved everything about that place before she came, and she took advantage of the lows I experienced. Trust me, Luna. I don't want to go back, but I'm scared to death that they are trying to force me back." She took a deep breath as she rose back up to her feet and headed for the door. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Raye, Luna: I don't want to force you to trust me. I want to be able to earn it. All I ask is that you give me the chance. The things I've done were reprehensible, but that's why I want to at least make things right. I can't change the past, but I can still change my future. I have to go. Andrew was saying that he might need me to fix a few of the machines that were acting up yesterday."

"Okay. I guess we'll see you later, Melissa." Luna bowed as she saw Melissa walk out the front door. She then padded over to Ikuko. '_I know it's hard, Melissa. I know you're trying. I wonder what I would do if I was to try to atone for sins like that. I wouldn't know where to start._' She slowly grabbed the lone slipper that was in the middle of the floor with her mouth and moved it to where Ikuko dumped the other one. She then jumped on the coffee table. '_I didn't think you bored her. To be honest, I didn't know she had that kind of behavior inside of her. It sounds like you want to keep that promise, though I don't know if it's a promise that should be...'_

"So, you want to defy me again, Melissa?" Luna suddenly heard a frightening male voice hark from outside. She knew who it was: Rubeus.

'_Oh, my God!_' Luna thought as she raced to a nearby window, trying to find a place where she could get outside without breaking any glass.

************************************************  
Melissa had met Rubeus on the point of a T-intersection that was right near Serena's house. "What in the hell do you want, Rubeus?"

"You forgot who runs the show now," the proud man laughed as he floated a few inches off the ground. "I call the shots!"

"Maybe in the Dark Kingdom you do, but here, you don't run shit!"

"Woah, babe! Easy on the language. Not in front of the K-I-D-S that could be coming home from school anytime now."

"Profanity is going to be the least of your problems if you don't leave her family alone!"

"Like you care, Melissa!" Rubeus scoffed.

Melissa was going to answer when she saw Artemis come up beside her. "Huh?"

"Leave Serena's family alone!" Artemis ordered. "You've done enough to her!"

"Ha ha! I'm not here to harm her family anymore, anyway! The thought bores me now. I was actually looking for Serena! I lucked out that I found you. Maybe you could deliver a message to her from me!"

"Deliver it yourself, you idiot!" Melissa growled.

"Yeah, like you're in any position to give orders to me, Melissa. Remember who was made the king of the Dark Kingdom, now."

Artemis gasped. "D-Dark Kingdom..._king_?"

"By Metaria, no less!" Melissa answered.

"I want to end this with Serena! I remember the fight we had on Tokyo Hills. I want to do it again. No powers, no gun, no police, nothing. Just me, her, and the night. Actually, this time, I might want to see her as Sailor Moon. I want her at full power when I kill her. I want her there at eight o'clock sharp. I'll be waiting for her then. Same place where Ikuko became a killer babe, if you know what I mean!" With a sharp cackle, Rubeus disappeared into thin air.

"You've gotta be shitting me!" Melissa snarled. "After all of him letting others do the work for him, he wants to just battle her?"

"Tokyo Hills," Artemis pondered out loud.

"Where's that?"

"On the outskirts of the city. I can fill you in later on what happened there, and why Rubeus said that about Ikuko."

"Killer babe...my God! I think I know. She told me she was completely brainwashed some time ago by Rubeus. That must've been where he tried to get her to make her stand."

"More than that, but I smell a rat here."

"Me too, but we have to at least inform Serena about it."

"She would be at that hearing right now."

"I can get there quickly and inform her!"

Melissa was almost off to the races when Artemis called out, "Wait!"

"What is it?" Melissa said as she skidded on a dime.

"You couldn't let us know that something happened with Molly, you couldn't let us know that Ikuko was chasing after Rubeus, and now you're running off to a place you might not know where it might be."

"I wanted to, but I couldn't!"

"I know, and I do believe you need a way to get a hold of us in case you need us." Artemis jumped high into the air and flipped backwards as a white sparkle swirl was made by the jump. The sparkles came together to form a purple flip-top device on the ground. "Go ahead, Melissa. Take it!"

"Does this mean...?"

"You're a part of the team now, Melissa. You should at least have the tools that we do."

"But not everyone trusts..."

"I do. And I know Luna does, too. She's just trying to test you. She's always been like that. Thing is, I don't know if you trust us. That would be a good way for us to know that you do."

As she picked up the device and flipped it open, she noticed a bunch of keys on the bottom half and a large screen on the top. "Wow, Artemis!"

"Casto has something similar. Luna made it for him, and I guess my talents in communicator making have gone up a notch, too. In fact, I wasn't sure I had that ability. I don't usually use it."

"A small beryl rock encased in the center of the binding, and the smooth texture is that of the same rock. Artemis, you didn't have to even make it, let alone personalize it. This means a lot to me."

"Let's see how it works now! Is Casto at that thing, too?"

"I don't know, and I don't think those prudes would take kindly to loud beeps interrupting their session."

"We need to get in touch with someone, and the other girls are in school."

"Let's see," Melissa said as she began pressing buttons. "Call! Okay...wow, already with stored contacts. Nice touch! Casto, where are you? There!"

"Hopefully he answers."

"Casto, come on, be there!" Melissa waited, albeit impatiently, for someone to pick up on the other end.

A few seconds later, Artemis heard a male voice answer, "Who is this?"

"Casto! Thank God!"

"Melissa? When did you get a...?"

"No time to talk! Where's Serena?"

"We were just about to go back in and resume the session. The board seems determined to prove that Miss Haruna is guilty of the planets being misaligned, even. Why?"

"Rubeus just stopped me. He wants Serena to meet him on Tokyo Hills for a fight one on one, but something seems off about this."

"Tokyo Hills! Good God, does this man think of anything new? At least this time we can be more aware of Serena not taking a gun to the fight! I'll inform Serena. What's time does he want her there?"

"Eight tonight! At nightfall."

"I'll tell her once the session is over for the day. It shouldn't be any longer than a few hours. You should inform the others as soon as you can. Oh, and I want to see that communicator of yours when you get the chance. Luna was awesome with how she made mine. I'm curious to see what kind of perks you got on yours."

"Will do, Cas!" As the call was terminated, Melissa closed down the communicator and tightened her grip on it while closing her eyes.

"Melissa?" Artemis asked.

"I've got a very bad feeling about all of this. I don't want Serena to go!"

"What do you mean?"

"Why would Rubeus just want to challenge her like that after all the crap he's tried to do to Reenie and her family? He's got something else in mind!"

"You don't know that, Melissa!"

"You're right, but I would tell her to stay at home tonight. Stay with her mother and daughter."

Artemis slowly stepped forward, eying Melissa's tension. "I've never seen you like this, Melissa."

"That bastard has one upped us too many times lately, and I don't want him to win again. I know what you guys want me to do, but I...I don't think I can tell her to go!" She ran off before Artemis could say anything else.

'_Poor Melissa,_' he thought. '_I wonder what she's so worried about. It's true: I've never seen her like that. I've seen her happy, angry, and sad, but I've never seen her with that much...fear before._'

************************************************  
Melissa turned into an alley, far enough along to where she knew she had some privacy, and slammed her back into a wall, still clutching her communicator with a shaky hand.

"I don't know what this is, Artemis, but I can't allow her to go. I have to stop her from going. I know Serena is brave and would go to protect her family, but I know it can cloud her judgment, too. I don't know her for being stupid. She's done too much for me to just let her put her family in danger. I just hope you guys trust me enough to know that I don't know what Rubeus is planning, if anything. I hope to God I'm wrong."

She opened up her communicator again and pressed some buttons frantically. Halfway into her button sequence, she stopped. "No, Amy might not know what Rubeus could have in his mind. Computers can only decipher so much. As much as I trust her to know what's going on, I need to talk to someone who would know the fear I'm going through." She began pressing a few more buttons, and within about ten seconds, had her call answered. "Lita? It's Melissa."

"Melissa," Lita said. "What's up? I see you have a new communicator now."

"Yeah. I'm sorry for calling you in the middle of the school day."

"No problem. It let out early. Computer lab again. I was heading home now."

"Can you meet me at my loft instead? I need to talk to you about something."

"Sure thing, Melissa. But what's going on?"

"I'm scared. Scared to death."

"So, Patricia," Hanoi said as the patrons inside the Authority Hall sat, "I heard that you have some criticisms that you would want to bring forth. Do you wish to address them now, or are you finally going to accept that you're not cut out to be a teacher anymore?"

"That's not fair for you to say, Hanoi," Serena said.

"I asked for Patricia to speak, not you, Serena!"

"But that's part of the problem with the Board," Patricia answered. "No one listens to the students' needs or wishes. They always seem to believe the teachers over the students, even when every student in the school says the truth. The issues surrounding Mister Koa could be tenfold now because no one even investigated that matter. How can the Board be proud of themselves with how they have conducted themselves during that time?"

"It was a judgment call, Patricia," Uematsu said. "And, like we've made clear before, it was his word against Harold's."

"But if the entire student body of a school comes forward, how can you ignore that? It's not like those kids would just lie to you, and they didn't know what hearsay was at that age."

"We could not accept those accounts when they never witnessed it."

"But what about any other time that he may have hit those kids? You think that would've been the only time that he couldn't have the gall to try to punch someone in the face? If he was accused of doing it once, then maybe it could've happened a second, or even a third, time."

"Harold is not one to beat a child, Patricia," Hanoi interrupted. "How can you disrespect him like that?"

"Because, I have heard of his teaching style, and it doesn't fall in line with what I consider to be an appropriate style of teaching."

"But that's why we're here, Patricia! Your 'style' is one that needs to be examined as one that should be saved for those that are teaching with a straight jacket on. How utterly useless would the school be with someone who is that unwilling to discipline the kids that need it! You're such a disgrace to the..."

"Miss Hanoi," Tenio called out, "I'm interested in knowing something from Patricia before you go on a rant. Now, Miss Haruna, if you do not approve of the teaching style of Harold, then that is your opinion. However, I am interested in hearing what your opinion is on what would be a good teaching style."

"Well," Miss Haruna answered, "it would be one where you have the students respect you. They know you will enforce the rules, but they know you're doing it because you know what's best for them. You know that they will understand why they get punished, or why you give them homework. Then, when they need help with something, you are the first one they come to for help with an assignment, or even guidance on their real life problems. In Serena's case, she knows I'm always there for her. In return, she's been there for me when I need her. This is the same with all my students. They know I'll get on them when they get out of line, but they will know they deserved it, and they come back and know that I'll always be there for them.

"With Harold, it's one in which the students fear him. They don't feel comfortable talking to him about anything, because they are so scared that he might do something to them that will physically and psychologically harm them for a long time. Like it or not, the accusation that Harold struck a student made everyone become fearful of him. I want people to respect me, but I don't want them to fear me. He doesn't care about the students of the school. He just wants a paycheck."

"So do you, as you admitted," Tenio replied.

"I need the money. You obviously know about the problems I've had with my landlord. The former one left, but he was known to get on me about everything. He didn't like me, and I didn't like him, either. The new owner has been more than lenient with me, but I don't know how much longer it'll be before he loses his patience. If I don't give him a payment soon, he's going to kick me out, I can sense it. And ma'am, I don't have anywhere to go. My family is so far away that I can't go and live with them, and they are so scattered around. Not to mention I was never that close to them. I became a worker at the orphanage partially because I felt like I _was_ one. I became one with the children who would otherwise have no place to call their home. I wanted to become a teacher, so those that have dreams can make them reality. I want them to become better than me. This is all I know what to do. I can't just go back to school and try something new. This is what I want to be doing. This is what I love to do. The time goes by so quickly when I am dealing with the children. I yell at them because it breaks my heart when I see someone with so much potential do things they shouldn't do. All those years that Serena had those bad grades, I got on her because I knew there was an awesome mind inside there that could do so much better.

"I can't do my job, the one thing that I love, if no one will let me. If you're seriously saying that it would be better to rule by fear and not by respect, then that's your prerogative, but that isn't my teaching philosophy. I just don't want you to punish me for doing nothing wrong by the rules of the Authority. I have never done anything that would ever break a rule, or have had to defend myself before today. And to think that I got this all while I was in the hospital, nearly on my death bed. I don't know how you could sleep at night knowing that you did that to me. I wanted to come back despite my ribs not being healed up completely. That's my dedication to my job. Why don't you ask Harold about his dedication?"

"Because, Patricia," Hanoi snarled, "your 'philosophy' is so flawed, I don't know where to begin. You should never allow your students to ever call you by your first name, regardless of where you are. Obviously you don't care about respect, or you would make your students do that. Serena suddenly has good grades, and then falls off the horse again. I don't see any explanation other than that it would be 'Harold's fault'. More like an excuse. And about your landlord. Did you ever think that he wasn't the only one who hated your guts in that place? I once lived at that very place, and I could hear your ass from a mile away. I couldn't get to sleep. You deserve to be put in your place, and what better..."

"Miss Hanoi," Uematsu interrupted, "please, enough."

"But..."

"But nothing. Patricia has a point. We could've picked a better time to make this decision. It was not my personal decision to make that ruling when you were injured, Patricia, and let me apologize for the bad timing. I can see that you still have some pains, as you were clutching yourself throughout your speech. I know this must be tough for you to handle, and we will be as fair as we can, but the cards are stacked against you, Miss Haruna. As I said, it will not be easy, but your speech just now may be something that we can work on for you. I hope you will take the early end to today's session as a way for me to make it up to you for the bad timing of all of this lately. We will reconvene tomorrow at one o'clock. And Serena, you're free to come if you would like. The school is closed tomorrow, though I bet it will be the final day it will have to be for the construction. Adjourned!"

As the patrons began to exit the hall, Patricia gathered herself out of her seat. "You will come tomorrow, won't you, Serena?"

"Of course I will, Patty." Serena paused for a moment. "Do you still want me to call you...?"

"You bet," she said with a small smile. "I don't care what they say. Outside of class is outside of class."

"I'll be here as soon as I can tomorrow, then. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Patty."

"Same here, Serena," she answered as the two fell into an embrace. It was one that a few board members looked over with small curiosity, though the two did not notice anyone staring. Patricia exited the hall after, turning back and winking softly at Serena, who smiled back.

As Serena began the trek to the door, she was stopped by, "Casto?"

"Serena, we have a problem."

"What kind of...?"

"A complicated one."

The day had grown old, and for the Sailors and Melissa at the Shrine, it had become a tense one. The sun was beginning to set, and the nocturnal insects were beginning to call out for either mates or weather changes.

Inside the Shrine, gathered amongst the table in the middle of the main room, the group focused on Artemis, who was almost finished explaining to the Sailors, "Rubeus basically wants you to meet him in about two hours, Serena."

"Not this again," she answered. "Tokyo Hills. Same place where he tried to turn my mother against me."

"Serena," Melissa said, "was that where you pulled that gun on Rubeus?"

"Yes. It was a similar circumstance, though I was the one who challenged him to the fight, and he agreed to it. He went back on his word to not use his power, and I made it clear that I wasn't going to be played around by him anymore. Darien was the only one who knew I had it until I pulled it on him. My parents still don't know that I ever had it in my possession."

"Who knows what he's planning this time?" Luna sulked.

"That's where this gets complicated," Casto continued. "I got another call from Lita telling me about some concern Melissa had."

"She has to go, though," Amy said. "If Rubeus has a plan, we should all go."

"No!" Melissa yelled.

"Huh?" Mina asked.

"None of us should. I have a feeling we're all being played here. I still don't know where I'm getting this suspicion and fear, but I don't want anyone to go, and I definitely don't want you to go, Serena."

"But what if Rubeus already has Reenie?" Raye asked. "We can't take that chance."

"Reenie's safe," Casto answered. "She's at home with Sammy and Ikuko. I don't think Rubeus would hide something like that from us. He would use her as a bargaining chip if he had her."

"Melissa," Raye began, "I said that I did believe you wouldn't willingly go back and that you were on our side. So please forgive me for being suspicious right now. You're talking as if you know what Rubeus has planned."

"Yes, that's what I feared I would receive the second I said something about my thoughts. I swear on my soul that I don't know of anything that he would actually have planned. They all hate me in the Dark Kingdom now. That and I don't want to see anyone hurt anymore."

"I don't sense any bad vibes coming from you right now, Melissa," Luna said. "Raye, and this goes for all of you, I have concluded that she is indeed telling the truth here. She wants to stop Rubeus as much as we do. Though I don't know if I agree with you about what Serena should do, Melissa."

"I have to go," Serena proclaimed. "Even if it is a trap to end all traps, I've had enough of his games and tricks. I want to end this, too. He's hurt too many of my friends, and has gone after my family for far too long. He went after my mom, my little brother, and my...my daughter. I swear to you..."

"Serena?" Lita asked.

"Melissa, what did you tell me over the communicator while I was coming here?"

"That Rubeus wanted to kill Reenie. I know he does."

"I gotta stop him before he does that."

"I saw a new side of Melissa today, and now I think I'm seeing a new side out of Serena," Artemis said.

"Last year was when he started going after Reenie. It didn't start just now, but the more I think about it, the more I...she's someone I would die for."

"You and Reenie have been pretty close since she came back, too."

"She showed me all that she was taught by Neo Queen Serenity, and what she taught herself. She even made me master some moves. I thought she pulled my arm out of socket the other day. Then all the times we worked together as Sailors. She even helped me put together my outfit for that date I had with Darien a few weeks ago. I never thought she would ever be able to stand me, but..."

"Future was changed when Rubeus escaped the UFO," Luna interrupted. "Pluto told us about that."

"If I never knew that Rubeus went after her and tried to kill her, then I may have never..."

"Melissa?" Serena asked.

"She was the reason I second guessed Metaria. I would've still been in her grasp if I never knew about it, or if he didn't try it."

"She also helped you in getting Sammy to forgive Ikuko for her negligence," Luna added.

"She's been there for me, even when I didn't know she was. If he ever hurt her..."

"We can't think of that right now, though," Raye interjected. "What we need to do is to make sure we stop him from doing whatever he is planning on Tokyo Hills."

Lita could see Melissa's fists shaking. "Melissa?"

"No! No! No! I'm sorry, Serena, but I can't allow you to go out there and do something stupid."

"What?" Luna yelled. "Now I'm wondering about this, Melissa. You're basing this off of pure speculation."

"I know, but there is just something about this that is bothering me. All this talk about wanting to kill Reenie for whatever reason, and now he just abandons that for another fight with you?"

"I know what you're saying, Melissa," Casto said. "Maybe I can go to her place alone. That way, someone is at least checking it out."

"I don't know about that," Artemis answered. "He seems real sure of himself this time. It's like he knows what he wants to do. He's too confident."

"Which is why we should just play the cowards this time and not give him the luxury," Melissa growled.

"One thing I never knew from you, Melissa, is to back down from a fight."

"I've never felt like this, either."

"We have to go, though," Mina proclaimed. "We can't just let Rubeus have his way. What if he knows how to scorch Tokyo like he wanted to do with Inferntoad?"

"Or cause a nuclear explosion like what Meltdown wanted to do?" Amy asked.

"Maybe he wants to collapse the city like he tried to do with Jackal?" Raye said.

"Or just bomb the holy high hell out of things like Eruptor wanted?" Casto added.

"Perhaps he actually drained Vampress' powers for himself?" Luna mentioned.

"Maybe Polyer's sick mind got transferred into Rubeus' already warped thoughts?" Darien pointed out.

"Or cause a flash flood and strike lightning like Hammerthor was doing?" Artemis said.

"Or cause the same mass chaos like him and Drillbit caused?" Serena asked. "We are sitting ducks if we don't do anything."

"Or maybe he's thought of something new that we're not considering yet," Melissa objected.

"You're paranoid, Melissa," Mina smiled. "We can take him. Remember, we're the Sailor Soldiers. We were the ones that beat you that one time, remember? And you weren't an easy target to take out. Trust us, Rubeus isn't that smart. C'mon, girls...well, and Casto; let's make Rubeus wish he never messed with the Sailors!"

"Right!" the other Sailors proclaimed in unison before marching out of the Shrine.

Serena was to be the last one out of the Shrine when Melissa stopped beside her. "Serena, please think this through. I know I'm not the first person you would go to for advice, but I'm telling you, I'm not liking what I'm feeling."

"Listen, Melissa," Serena replied, "I believe that you're sincere. I trust you. At the same time, if I don't take this opportunity, we may not get another chance. I know you're worried. That's normal of us. We don't know what we're walking into, and that scares me, too. But we still need to fight, even if the task may be scary. I'm the scared cat, usually, but I've gotten better at using the fear to my advantage. That just tells you to be more careful and watch out for things. You have the fear now that he might take us off guard. That's why we're all going. Don't worry too much, Melissa. We'll be safe, especially for you." She smiled as she ran out of the Shrine.

'_No, Serena, that's not the fear I'm talking about,_' Melissa thought. '_This fear...I don't think he's even after you. Please, rethink this!_' Despite her fears, Melissa took off after them.

************************************************  
For what it was worth, even though the trees were losing their leaves to the fall battle, Tokyo Hills' flat were just as peaceful as they had been since the Sailors were last there. They were geared up from head to toe as they ran to the exact spot where Serena battled her mother.

"It's a waiting game now," Vulture said.

"What time is it?" Mercury asked.

"Right at eight," Mars answered. She was moving her head back and forth. "No sign of him yet."

"Maybe you were right, Melissa. Something wasn't right about this." Jupiter laughed. "Perhaps he was too scared of us to stay true to his word."

"Actually," Melissa answered, "that's not that funny. Well, not the type of funny you're thinking of."

"Yeah," Venus agreed. "She has a point. Rubeus has usually been early for these types of challenges. Something _does_ seem a bit off."

"Casto," Luna asked, "are you sure it's eight o'clock?"

"Eight o'one now, but I'm positive."

"It's more than sundown now," Artemis added. "Full moon tonight."

"Where are you, Rubeus?" Moon yelled. "This better _not _be one of your games. I know you too well."

The Sailors looked around every tree, branch, bush, and beyond every hill. There was still no sign of Rubeus to be seen. The Sailors convened at the center of the flat.

"So...he's a no show," Jupiter concluded.

"Could say that," Mars agreed.

"We should just go back home, then," Luna said. "It's five after, if my mental watch is correct. If he isn't here by now, then..."

"Oh, my God!" Melissa gasped.

"What is it?"

"At home! I was wondering about that."

"About what, Melissa?" Serena asked.

"We were talking about Reenie right before I tried to convince you guys not to come. And..."

"Wait, don't tell me..."

"This got us as far away as he could get us from..."

"_REENIE_!" Serena screamed as she bolted from the flat and down the hill to the street.

"My God!" Mars gasped. "You mean the trap was..."

************************************************  
Sammy was looking out the window of his room as he was trying to relax his bum leg. He could feel the back of his thigh still throbbing, and the blood was warmer there than it was in the rest of his body. Well, at least it felt like it.

As he turned around, he saw Reenie come into his room and shut the door. "Hey, bud!"

"Hi, Reenie!"

"You still all right?"

"Yeah, I'll live. Though it feels weird. The wound healed, I thought, but the tingling sensation is still there. It doesn't hurt."

"I had that kind of wound one time. When I was training. I caught my arm on one of the dummies that didn't have its arm in place, and I tore the skin on the forearm. I think I may still have the scar from it." Reenie pulled up her left sleeve to reveal a huge red mark from her elbow to her shoulder.

"Damn, Reenie. You're hardcore about it, aren't you?"

"The more you do it, the more you get used to it, though I don't know if I could get used to the scars. I've been able to block out the pain most of the time, to the point where I could be bleeding and I won't even feel it, but that time, I did."

"Did you cry?"

"A little. More like a tear or two because I was trying to brace it, but not a real 'help, I'm hurt' kind of thing."

"How long ago was this?"

"About..."

"No, not again!" they heard Ikuko scream from downstairs.

"What the...?"

"Sammy, stay here." Reenie walked over to the door and put an ear on it.

"Where is she?" That voice sent chills down her spine.

"My God, does he ever give up?"

"Who?"

"Serena isn't here," they heard Ikuko yell out. It was followed by a series of thuds.

Downstairs, Ikuko was throwing punch after punch at Rubeus, who was in front of a broken door. "You're not going to harm my family again!" she screamed as she punched his gut. She kneed him in the face as he doubled over, though it only made him stagger back a few steps.

"Feisty little bitch, are you?" Rubeus sneered.

"Feisty is one word for it, and I _am_ a bitch! Just not _yours_!"

"Wow! I didn't know you had it in you. Too bad I always get what I want! I'm not after Serena. Well, in a way I am, but it's not why I'm here."

"No one's getting into this house uninvited that easily anymore." Ikuko tried to kick Rubeus again, but he caught her ankle and shoved her over the love seat, her neck violently colliding with the coffee table. Though she was able to move, for which she was thankful, she was unable to stop Rubeus from bolting up the steps. '_Kenji, where the hell are you? Serena? Melissa?_'

************************************************  
Sailor Moon was weaving through oncoming traffic and pedestrians, almost knocking some of the walkers over to get through them, in order to get to her house.

"Rubeus, if you put your hands on her again, I swear to God, I _will_ kill you! You have not even seen my darkest side yet!"

She jumped over a parked car to get across the last bit of road and turned the corner into an alley. She experienced a small feeling of déjà vu, as she swore she traversed down the very same alleyway before: when she was trying to rush to her house from the Tokyo Tower. She hadn't been Sailor Moon then, but this time, she had full power, yet she didn't feel as such.

"I can't believe I fell for it! We all did!" She continued to sprint to home.

************************************************  
The other Sailors were crammed into Darien's sports car, with Casto taking the front seat, and the cats in between the two front seats sitting on Venus's lap. The other four were in the back, trying to get as much leg room as possible as Darien tried to get through the still busy traffic.

"What's going on, Darien?" Casto panicked.

"The entire city is out _now_?" Darien responded.

"Melissa," Jupiter said, "we all owe you an apology. We should've seen this coming."

"What's going on, actually?" Venus asked.

"Reenie's his target," Melissa answered. "He brought us all to that spot so we would be far away from her house. That's all he needed."

"And that was his plan all along," Artemis added. "Yes, we should've known there was an ulterior motive to what he was planning."

"If anything happens to her, it's my fault," Melissa growled as her fists trembled. "I should've tried harder to stop you from going."

"No, it's our fault for not listening," Luna objected. '_Maybe it was because I didn't trust you enough to know when you were trying to warn us._'

"C'mon," Darien grumbled as he pounded on the car horn. "Why does it have to be backed up now? The hell is going on up there?"

"Raye," Casto said, "get up to the front seat. I'll make it faster on foot." Before anyone else could object, he was already out the door and on the sidewalk, long gone before anyone could get their eyes on him.

"Oh God, Casto, be careful," Melissa pleaded.

"He will be, I hope," Darien replied. "He's right in how fast he can run. I just hope it's not too late."

"Rubeus," Melissa snarled, "I told you that I would kill you if you harmed Reenie again, and I will hold true to that."

"Melissa, I want to crush him, too! C'_mon_!" He blasted the horn repeatedly, so much that other drivers started to cuss him out. The cars had moved only an inch within the past minute or so, and his car was surrounded by other vehicles. "The hell's taking so long?" Darien screamed out of his window.

"Small accident because a girl was fleeing from something," another male from Darien's side said. "Swerved to keep from hitting her. I think it could've been Sailor Moon, but I only..."

"My God!" Darien gasped. "She's causing all of this? She couldn't be."

"No," Melissa objected. "The Moon Princess never acted out of rage before. Not even towards me. Serena, please, don't do anything stupid. Let us help you."

'_Though I agree with you,_' Luna thought, '_I'm afraid it's too late to do anything now._'

************************************************  
Reenie was trying to get up to the attic to retrieve her brooch. It was the one thing she needed to transform, and she had left it there only briefly to change into her nightgown when she decided to check on Sammy beforehand. As she cursed herself for leaving it there, she ran towards the attic steps, only to be stopped by a male voice.

"Reenie," Rubeus cackled, "just who I was looking for."

"You must think I'm some pushover if you're looking for me, Rubeus," she yelled.

"You forget, Reenie. I have all the answers. You're just a failure." He held his arms out and shot out a double beam. She ducked underneath and jumped up to kick him. However, as she was about to do so, he quickly took out his Hizrounswa Gun and shot her dead center in the chest. Her collision with the floor was with force, and her face was slightly scarred, with a trickle of blood coming from the cut that had formed on the bridge of her nose.

"How's that scar on your arm now, Reenie?" Rubeus said as he stepped on her back arm and pushed down on it with his foot. She could feel the pain shooting down the entire arm. She couldn't stop him, as she continued to feel her body burning up inside.

"Stop it," Reenie screamed. "Can't you fight fair?"

"Oh, you forgot, Reenie! You never have fought fair! You blindsided me at Tokyo Hills. Ikuko would still be mine if you had minded your own damn business. Now, you die!"

He began to pull the trigger on the Hizrounswa Gun again when he got hit by a crutch. He stepped off of Reenie's arm as he dodged a few more swipes from Sammy.

"What the hell?"

"Leave us and her alone already!" he cried. "Haven't you done enough?"

Rubeus only answered with a kick to Sammy's leg. It made him collapse, and Rubeus bent down to pick up the crutch when he saw Reenie try to get back to her feet. He shot her in the back with level three of his gun again, and she could feel nothing but darkness as she also felt a hard strike on the back of her head. She collapsed unconsciously, with small drops of crimson soiling the carpet from the nose and now her arm.

"Now, for level six. It's so anti-climatic when you think about it, isn't it?" Rubeus turned the gun's level up as high as it would go, and pointed it right at the child Sailor.

However, just as he was ready to fire, he heard a very familiar voice scream, "_DO IT AND DIE_!_"_

_"_Sailor Moon!" Rubeus smiled as he looked down from the balcony. She stood with her feet planted in a battle stance, and her legs spread apart as she looked up at her enemy. "How nice of you to drop...!"

"Let her go!" she growled. "It's me you want, not her!"

"You're right! It _is_ you I want, but this little kid will do just fine! I just need some goddamned privacy!" He hoisted the limp Reenie onto his shoulder. "She can't do anything about it now, and neither can your family."

"She still can!" Ikuko screamed as she ran up beside Sailor Moon. "She's my daughter, and she's kicked your ass before!"

"I told you before, you sick bitch, shut the hell up!"

Sailor Moon jolted and tackled Ikuko hard to the carpet. She heard the sound of a laser beam whiz behind her. No, make that a shot from the Hizrounswa Gun.

"Serena?" Ikuko gasped as she saw her daughter's face and felt the heavy breaths on her skin.

"So long, Serena!" Rubeus waved as he took Reenie with him into Sammy's room.

Serena jumped back to her feet and raced up the steps, seeing her brother trying to get back up. "My God!" She quickly rushed into Sammy's room and saw Rubeus jump out of the open window with Reenie in tow. She raced to the window, but it was too late, as she couldn't find Rubeus anywhere.

"Reenie! _REENIE_!"

The next chapter will be the final one for War Games. I'll also begin the next phase of the Silver Project Saga after that. Thanks to youroctober for helping me with this story and the Saga so far. Without her, this story and Saga would not be possible.

Good night, and good luck.


	16. Final Straw

WAR GAMES  
CHAPTER 16  
Final Straw

Written by Darkpower  
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)

* * *

"Reenie! _REENIE_!"

Sailor Moon could do nothing about it. Rubeus had Reenie with him, and from what she saw when he leaped out of Sammy's window, she was out like a light on his shoulder. However he had made her unconscious, she was now as his mercy, and as Moon bolted out of the room to check on her family, she could feel a rush of several emotions at once.

She exited the room to see Sammy using the railing to get back to his feet after Rubeus kicked the injured leg. "Sammy," she yelled as she rushed to his side.

"Don't worry about me, Serena," he answered. "Go after Reenie! That maniac has her, and he fired at her twice!"

"Fired...twice?"

"Whatever that gun is, it's harming her. He was trying to kill her."

Sailor Moon had no other words as she helped Sammy back to his room and then ran like a bullet downstairs to Ikuko, "Mom, are you...?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine, though my neck hit the coffee table. Did he really...?"

"He's not going to have her for long! I gotta go after her!"

She was about to run out of the house when Ikuko grabbed her arm. "Serena, no! Not without some help!"

"But he won't hesitate to kill her, mom!" she answered as she was forced to turn to face her parent.

"He wanted you, I thought!"

"No, mom! It was Reenie all along. He thinks that she ruined one of his plans, and he wants to kill her because of it."

"Please, Serena, you'll only give him what he wants!"

Serena wrestled her arm away. "I'm sorry, mom! That's one of the most important people in my life. He's gonna have to kill me to get to her. I swear to God, mom, if he hurts her...!" She could not say anymore as she raced after him in the pale moonlight.

"Serena, please, at least let your friends help you!" Ikuko knew she would not get any other answer as she sighed deeply. '_You've never been this late before, Kenji? Where are you? At least try to call me or something. I need you here now._'

**-xXXXXx-**

The traffic jam that Darien was stuck in was testing his patience to the point that he was just pounding on his horn. Not only did Casto jolt out of the car and towards Serena, but Sailor Moon was more or less at fault for this very back up.

"How long does it take for them to sort out an accident or at least to reroute traffic?" he asked to the other Sailors and Melissa.

"Forever, apparently," Amy answered.

Melissa, however, could not speak. She only looked back and forth out the windows, as if in a trance. Her mouth was partially open, and her eyes were slightly watery.

"Melissa, don't worry," Lita said as she put a hand on Melissa's. "We're not going to let Rubeus do anything to anyone, okay?"

"I should've been tougher on you. I was scared to do anything else. I want you to be able to trust me, and..."

'_So that's why she hesitated to stop us,_' Artemis thought. '_It's like I thought: we trust her, but she's doesn't trust that we trust her yet. Melissa, you should've tried to._'

"You can't worry about what we think of it," Lita continued. "I trust you, but there's more than that. You have to know when it's best."

"Though we never thought to consider the possibility," Amy added, "so in reality, it should've never come to something like that."

"Regardless, though, Melissa," Darien said, "it's not your fault that any of this is happening."

"Yes," Luna added. "Rubeus is a conniving one, and we need to..."

"Darien," they heard a male voice call out, "is that you?"

Darien rolled down his window quickly. The man was indeed familiar. "Kenji?"

"I think my car got lucky with me. You should see the other car, though."

"What happened?"

"I think it was...my daughter. I've never seen anyone run so fast before in my life. I hit my brakes to try to keep from hitting her, and..."

"Can you get it started again?" Darien asked. "We're trying to chase after her!"

"What's going on?"

"We think Rubeus may be after your family, more than likely because of Reenie."

"My lord! So that's why she was...I can try, but I can't say it'll start. I think I saw an alley nearby that you could take, but I don't know if you can get by these cars to get into it. Tow trucks were called, but I don't know what's taking them, either."

"Try your hardest, sir. We'll see what we can do to get to that alley." Kenji nodded as he raced back to his car. "Okay, at least we know why! Now to see if we can get to that alley."

Raye opened her door and stood up to look. Her eyes were bright once she stepped back inside. "I think I see it. If we can pass this car, we should be able to turn right into it. At least that part of the courteous Juuban I used to know is still intact."

Darien took a heavy breath, and shifted gears.

"Oh, wait a minute, Darien," Melissa gasped. "You're not going to do what I think you're going to do, are you?"

"We gotta get out of here, I know that!" he answered.

"This is going to be rough."

"Casto's been daring before, and I think it's time that I start taking some chances again. Hang on, girls!"

He turned the steering wheel hard, and it was just enough for the car to squeeze in between the two lanes. At this point, he could see the alleyway. It was unblocked, though the way he would have to turn into the path, it could have damaged his car or others. He was willing to take the chance as he took another hard right. The van that was beside him was scratched slightly as he made his turn, and he could've sworn that his bumper might've paid a dear price, but it was worth it as he safely made his way into the alley. The only other thing he experienced was some more profane words being said towards him for the reckless driving. It was something he could live with as he sped along the alley.

"That's why I'm more comfortable on a snowmobile than in a car," Melissa said. "At least I know that feeling is supposed to happen."

"On a snowmobile?" Amy asked.

"I'll tell you later."

Melissa sighed in relief as Darien drove down the alley, and finally was able to get onto an empty street. He continued on his way to Serena's house, though his mind was on his future daughter as he revved down the road. '_Rubeus, you better not even scratch her! I'll have your head if you do!_'

**-xXXXXx-**

Sailor Moon ran down several streets in hot pursuit of Rubeus, incapable of thinking of anything else. She huffed and heaved as she turned down alleyways and looked in garages and yards.

She then turned down a section of road that led to a familiar mountain range, the Akaishi Mountains. Had she really traveled that far on foot? She didn't even know she could run that fast, even when she had a purpose. She continued running even when she was traversing over a bridge and right into the range. She had to climb uphill, wondering how she could go even faster on these mountains, and if Rubeus was even in the range.

One of her questions would be answered, as when she neared the peak of the first small mountain, she caught a glimpse of Rubeus carrying Reenie down another mountain. Several questions ran through her mind as she continued to run down switchbacks and steep hills. Did Rubeus hit Reenie with the gun that hard? Was Reenie already dead? Why did Rubeus choose to run on foot himself to begin with? She continued to breathe hard and sprint down the hill up until she reached a point on the second mountain where she couldn't continue without jumping down, and the jump would send her a long way down before her feet touched ground again. However, she knew she had no time to decide or cower now as she took a deep breath and a leap of faith. She landed perfectly on the grassy terrain below and continued on.

For the next twenty minutes, she chased Rubeus. Every move he made—probably to try to lose her, if that was his plan—she tried to mirror exactly. She still asked herself why Rubeus chose on foot instead of just transporting like he normally did. She jumped up and down small cliffs, trying to block out her worn out muscles and loss of breath. She could only think of what her mother had said at this point, "_Please, Serena, you'll only give him what he wants!_"

'_Yes, mom_,' she thought, '_I am giving him what he wants. Maybe that's why he hasn't transported away. He wants me to follow him. I am giving him what he wants...me. He can kill me if he wants, but he isn't harming my daughter. He's never going to do that.'_

Rubeus indeed knew that Sailor Moon was chasing him, and he looked to a particular mountain: Mount Akiha, where the Jinja Shrine stood. He wasn't interested in the God of Fire's shrine so much as a large cave that was at the base of the mountain.

"C'mon, Serena," he whispered to himself, "I'll be waiting for you. Don't let up on me now."

Sailor Moon got past the last switchback before she saw Rubeus enter that very cave. She knew the mountain region in a matter of speaking: just north of this area was where the Moonlight Course was held last year, the Southern Alps. She knew of the history of this particular mountain range, and what the next mountain after this one would be: Mount Fuji. She also remembered the Shrine, but not this cave, as she swiftly entered it.

At least her legs could now rest. It felt as though she had been running forever, or at least two solid hours. She began to carefully explore the cave, which was spacious. This was a cave below the Fire God Shrine, all right: it had a reddish hue on its rocks. At least she knew it wouldn't collapse on her, as the cave seemed more like a rocky tunnel that was firmly secure.

As she passed through a narrow area that she had to squeeze through to get past, Moon found a spot in the cave that was as large as three living rooms put together before any more rocks blocked the path. She looked high and low, right and left, for her arch enemy. She was ready to face him, as her Moon Tiara was in her hand and ready to swipe at him if she saw him. Her fear was also eminent, as she watched her back to make sure that Rubeus was not trying to sneak up on her or snipe her from afar. There were rocks that would give someone an awesome chance to do so.

When she neared one of the corners of the large cave she turned back around to see a familiar face, although the condition was less than desirable.

"Reenie?" she gasped as she dropped her tiara and sprinted towards her daughter's body. She skidded on both knees, not caring that she had just scraped them hard on the rock floor, and held Reenie's head in her hands. "Reenie, honey, wake up! It's Serena. I'm here, you'll be safe." She got no answer, or any movement from Reenie. However, one check of a pulse assured her that she was still alive. "C'mon, Reenie. We'll..."

She heard the crumbling of some rocks. As secure as the cave was, she knew that wasn't normal. She could only turn her head a slight inch before she had to quickly swipe Reenie off the ground and somersault forward with her tightly in her grasp. She heard the exact same sound as before from behind her that she had heard when she just nearly saved her mother from the same blast. It was the Hizrounswa Gun.

"Rubeus!" she growled as she heard loud footsteps from behind her.

"So, you finally made it, though late as always! You should've been aware of what I meant by Tokyo Hills. Those hills are a joke. _This_ is where I want this battle to be. Too bad I had to claim a kid in order to tell you where to go, heh!"

"You sick bastard." Moon trembled as she rose to her feet. "I will _not_ let you hurt her!"

"Aww, how utterly sweet, Serena! You forget, though," Rubeus chuckled as he aimed for her with his gun, "I _always _get what I..."

He was not able to fire, as Moon shoulder tackled him, making his gun fly out of his hands and slide to another corner of the cave room.

"Dumb bitch!" Rubeus sneered. "You really think you will keep me from killing both you and your bastard child?"

"You'll have to kill me before you harm my daughter, Rubeus!" she proclaimed.

"Like you could ever stop me! Hell, you couldn't stop me from putting Pandora out of her misery. You can't get the police on your side. Damn, you're even having school problems again, and all your friends and family are dropping like goddamn flies. I just keep _winning_! And what do you do about it? Not a damn thing!"

"I took care of your lackeys, Rubeus! And, in case you forgot, the Dark Kingdom that you resurrected hated your guts, so much that I got a new friend out of it."

"You call her a friend? Queen Beryl could turn on you at any moment and you call her a _friend_?"

"Not just in name, but in character, which is something you don't have!"

"Yeah, what about character? You talk about wanting to kill me, but you've yet to take a punch at me."

"That's because I've got something _better_!"

At that precise moment, Rubeus felt cold metal strike his face. He flew until his back hit the rock wall, and he fell to the floor on his face. He could feel his lip bleeding, and he saw Sailor Moon approach him with her Moon Scepter in hand.

"My God," Rubeus gasped, "you actually did it. You actually grew a spine."

"You've done enough to the people I care about, and I'm tired of your games." Moon hoisted the Scepter up over her head, and began to bring it down for another strike, but before she could, Rubeus punched her in the gut. She staggered back and dropped her Scepter.

"There it is, my sweet baby," Rubeus grinned as he eyed the Hizrounswa Gun in the corner. He went to pick it up, but was instead greeted with a firm kick to the ribs. Sailor Moon dragged him to his feet and pinned him on the wall, her Scepter on his throat and choking him. He could feel her hot breath on his face as he struggled to get some of his own into his lungs.

"You feel that, Rubeus?" Moon roared. "That's what I've felt like ever since you began terrorizing me and my family."

"Must...suck to have to...be viewed as...a failure!"

"Shut up!" Moon kneed Rubeus in the stomach. "Why do you keep doing it? Why Reenie when it's me that you want?"

"Blaming...everyone else...for your mistakes!" Rubeus got a hand up and punched Moon in the face. It made her release him, and she was hit again with the other fist. "As always, you fail to see the real picture! You were the one who trapped me in this time. Lady Emerald was such a stupid broad. She didn't even know that I would have an escape plan in place in case she did that. Not that she had her head on straight anyway."

"So you go after my daughter and my family because someone else blew up the ship you stole from Area 51?"

"If you would've just handed over the Silver Crystal in the beginning, none of this would've ever happened, and you would've even been able to die before seeing your precious world perish."

"Not a chance in hell that I would ever give you this crystal. It's something that means a lot to me."

"Some crystal is worth more than your family, Serena? Think about what you just said!"

"No, it doesn't," Serena mumbled angrily.

"Then hand it over!"

"Don't you dare think that I would just let you do what you want to do with it. I know your real plan with the Silver Crystal, and yes, it means a lot to me. It helps me protect my family from people like you."

"Like you've ever done that? Look how easy it was for me to just snatch up Reenie, and she's still out cold. You protect your family, yet I'm able to provide the beating you were never able to give to your bratty bitch!"

Sailor Moon's eyes lit up and she fired her Scepter Elimination move at Rubeus, only she never called for the move. Rubeus saw nothing but red in his eyes as his back smacked once more into the rocks, with a few pieces shattering on impact and falling on top of him.

"The hell was that, Sailor Moon?"

She never answered. She walked to him, knelt down and lifted his chin off the rock floor. She finished by quickly grabbing the back of his head and smacking his face onto the ground. Rubeus could feel it: the scar she gave him back in the pyramid had opened up slightly once more at his nose.

"Look who you're gonna have to answer to when you get back home," he said as he struggled to return to his feet. "Your feisty bitch for a mother, for one. Though I gotta tell you, I can see what your father sees in her. If she was that hot when she was angry, I would show her a night she would..."

Moon shot her Elimination spell again, though Rubeus jumped out of the way. She fired again and again, with each spell stronger than the last.

'_My God,_' Rubeus thought, '_something's happening with her spells. I think I'm getting to her. That last shot was blood red._'

"My mother would never think at all about..."

"But she has, Serena! She loved being tied up to that pipe I had her on. She wanted more, and more, and..."

This time, Serena didn't mess with the magic. She threw the entire Scepter at him. It collided with his torso, and it felt like it impaled him, though it fell to the floor after it struck him in the gut as he fell to one knee.

"Don't you _dare_, Rubeus! Is that all you have left? Just those 'your mom' jokes?"

"It's not a joke, Serena! She wanted me, and..."

Moon leaped into the air and kicked him in the face, making him fall onto his back. "Stop it, Rubeus! You're not funny, especially not now!"

"Not trying to be funny, Sailor Moon. Your mother has a dark side, just like you've shown me. Why do you think it was so easy to take control of her a month ago on Tokyo Hills, huh? I wouldn't ever have thought of that if it weren't for her suddenly getting all brave on me. She begged for me to hurt her."

The mention of Tokyo Hills startled her. She remembered the entire ordeal. But was Rubeus right? '_He's been bragging about all his accomplishments lately. We would never hear the end of it if..._' She began to remember Casto explaining to her.

"M-Mother? Did you really...?"

**-xXXXXx-**

Casto got to his house as quickly as he could, but once he saw all the lights shining though the Sommer's household, he knew that what he would find would not be what he was hoping for. He still hoped that it wouldn't be as bad as he thought it could be, though.

As he approached the front door, it opened to reveal Ikuko. Her face told Casto the entire story.

"Oh, my God," Casto said to his adoptive mother, "what happened?"

"He has her," she cried. "And Serena went after him!"

"No. He didn't kill her, did he?"

"I don't think so, though I don't want to think that he would do such a thing. I tried to stop him, but he's more powerful than I remembered when he had me tied up."

"Did you see where they went to?"

"Umm," Ikuko hummed, "I believe they went towards the Alps, though I'm not sure why they would go that far just to have a fight."

"Very obvious when you think about it. It's where the Fire God resides, if I'm not mistaken. He would want all the privacy in the world if he wanted just Serena."

"I tried to keep her from going without any help, but...my God, Casto..."

"I'll find her! I'm not about to let anyone I love be hurt again by that maniac."

"Please, hurry, Casto. I don't know if he did anything to Reenie since he kidnapped her."

"Where's her brooch?"

"Her what?"

"Her brooch. She would need that to transform into a Sailor. Serena has one, and Reenie had one."

"I don't know, but I don't think I ever saw one on her when she was trying to fight Rubeus."

"No. Why would she just leave it here?"

"Casto?"

"Try to find that brooch. Darien should be on his way. If you can find it, give it to him."

Ikuko nodded, though still with vexation on her face. "Be careful, Casto."

Casto stopped as he was about to take off and looked back at Ikuko, "I will...mom." He sped off.

"Did he really...?"

**-xXXXXx-**

"Serena," Casto told himself as he had already cleared two full blocks, "please, don't do too much. Stop Rubeus, but keep yourself calm. Let me be the angry one. It doesn't fit you."

He took out his Vulture Communicator and pressed a few buttons on it. "That tracker I used to pinpoint Amy's position back at A-Point. Maybe I can use it to find Serena, too. Ah ha! There we go!" Casto kept running as he was looking over the findings. What he saw made him gasp mid-sprint. "You gotta be kidding me. It _is_ right under where that Fire God is: Mount Akiha. That's a long way out, especially for my sister. It couldn't be easy. Why _should_ it be easy?"

Casto kept the Communicator in his shirt pocket as he continued to chase after what he hoped was his sister, safe with Reenie.

**-xXXXXx-**

It was a full ten minutes since she had seen Casto, and she was turning over every nook and cranny for something she couldn't identify. Reenie's brooch? Did she even recall Serena having one? She could remember vaguely something about having a solid pink object with a star on it in her hands some time ago, but nothing more.

She went up to the attic. Reenie made her bed there, but, as usual, the one most obvious place to look was the last place she thought to look. However, the second she went up the steps leading to the attic, she eyed a pink, heart-shaped object lying on the end table. '_This must be it_,_'_ she thought as she approached it and snatched it into her hands. She opened it up to find a large crystal. Had to be stronger than diamond to be able to handle what Reenie asked of it.

'_All the troubles we've been having. All over this one thing. This gives Reenie the power to be Sailor Mini Moon, does..._'

She heard a knock at the front door. '_Now what?_' She stuffed the locket into her blouse and raced as the doorbell now rung. Whoever it was was in a hurry, since the bell was ringing rapidly.

"Hello?" Ikuko panicked as she once more opened her door.

"Did Casto get here before we did?" asked a very distraught Darien as the team of Sailors stood behind him and Melissa.

"Yes! He went after Serena. She went towards the mountains to the east of here."

"The..._mountains_? To the..._east_?" Melissa asked.

"Yes, the Alps, more specifically."

'_Malachite thought that Moonlight Course would be able to show us who the Moon Princess was,_' Melissa thought.

"That's a long way to run," Raye responded.

"Yes, I know, but Rubeus took Reenie and headed in that direction. Serena went after him just seconds later. I couldn't stop her from going, and then Casto..."

"We'll get there as soon as we can, Ikuko," Lita said. "Hopefully, it's not..."

"Ikuko," Melissa interrupted, "what's under your blouse?"

"Okay, Melissa, seriously," Ikuko fumed, "I only fell asleep on your shoulder. It didn't mean anything other than..."

"Get your mind outta the gutter, Ikuko. I meant, you hid something underneath of it before you answered the door, didn't you?"

"Okay, so _my_ mind is in the gutter, and_ you're _the one asking me what I'm putting inside my clothes? I didn't think you would..."

Without warning, Melissa pulled Ikuko towards her by her shirt and reached underneath of it. It was a smooth medal, and she recognized the touch right away as she removed the protrusion.

"R-Reenie's...brooch?" Amy said in shock.

"Why did you...?"

"Casto wanted me to find it before you got here," Ikuko answered Melissa. "I found it just as you got here. I didn't mean to..."

"This must mean Reenie doesn't have it," Darien said, "and that means..."

"No Mini Moon power," Raye finished. "Reenie doesn't stand a chance against Rubeus."

"Why is this _here_?" Lita asked. "Of all the things they would leave behind, a Sailor would _never_...!"

"I don't know how she could've," Ikuko answered. "All I know is that it was here, and it wasn't with her."

"We need to get this to Reenie ASAP," Melissa said. "She's got no power to fight him without it."

'_No...power?_' Ikuko asked herself.

"And we don't know how far out they..."

Just as Melissa turned her head towards Darien, Ikuko violently snatched the brooch and stepped back several feet.

"Ikuko!"

"No, Melissa! I'm not letting you have this!"

"What the hell?" Lita yelled. "We have no time for this now!"

"Ikuko," Melissa pleaded, "someone we love, that you love, needs that."

"But what if there's more out there, waiting to get us?"

"There is no other..."

"Bullshit, Darien!" The words Ikuko used sent a freezing chill down everyone's backs. "Look how many times Rubeus has attacked this house. I couldn't fight them, I forgot about Sammy, it's my fault he hated me, and every time he attacks, I feel more and more powerless. He keeps winning every single time. I need something to keep him or anyone else from coming after my family!"

"Ikuko," Melissa growled, "give us that brooch!"

"_Never_!" Ikuko screamed. "Reenie's gonna be safe! I trust Serena! I know she'll be okay. I need this now! I'll be damned if anyone is going to walk all over my goddamn family. I want some power. I wanna fight them. I wanna be able to hurt that son of a bitch so bad that he wished he never crossed me."

"Ikuko, this isn't a game!"

"You think I'm treating this as a game? You really think that I would be foolish enough to think that this was just some toy?"

"Actually, yes, Ikuko!"

"What do you know about me, anyway? You have no idea what it's like to have your family be torn apart, with you trying desperately to find some way to stop it, only to find out that you can't do anything about it, though it's all your fault. My daughter is the Moon Princess. I've come to accept that, and with it, I've accepted that I have a much bigger role in the grand scheme of the world. I need to help her any way I can. This crystal is the power I need to protect me without needing her here. _None_ of you could possibly understand the shit I've gone through these past few months!"

"Ikuko, calm..."

"Shut up, Melissa! You have no idea..."

"Yes, I do, Ikuko. I know what that's like! I spent two whole goddamned years searching for my soul after my parents died. I spent several years teaching myself how to be queen. I spent several more years with a piece of shit controlling me, not knowing any way to stop her from destroying my kingdom from within. Those people were all my family, and I felt as though I betrayed them, and I thought I needed loads and loads of power, the same power you hold right now, to stop the downward spiral. But you're wrong, Ikuko! You already have power. You don't need that crystal."

"Yes, I do, Melissa! Don't play a guilt trip on me."

"No, you don't! I heard an age old saying that goes 'With great powers, comes great responsibility'. Are you ready to accept what comes with holding that power in your hands? Imagine getting addicted to that power, only to find that sometimes, all the power in the world is not enough. So you try to take more than what you can handle. You need to know how to handle it, and when to not use it, and where, when, and how. Serena never asked to be Sailor Moon. None of these girls asked to be the Soldiers, and Darien never asked to be Tuxedo Mask. I never asked to be the North Pole Kingdom queen. But we all accepted the roles we play, and sometimes, we enjoy the feeling of being able to help out others."

Melissa stepped closer to Ikuko, the others listening to her with wide open ears. "But if you choose to take it like you are now, you make the same mistakes that Rubeus is making now. And you'll be making the same mistakes I made a long time ago. I thought I wanted the same thing you did. I wanted power to help rebuild my kingdom. I wanted to help my people, but I didn't know how else to do it, so I decided to take it, piece by piece. The less it worked, the more power I craved, until suddenly, I became drunk from it. I became too greedy, and I became a monster.

"I was aware of all of my deeds, but I didn't know how to stop myself from feeling the way I felt. I didn't know what else to do besides accept everything as necessary, and then make the worst mistakes anyone could ever make." Ikuko could see the tears streaming down Melissa's face. "I lost so many friends, and I deserved it, because I pushed them all away, and took a person's offer to give me more power. She preyed on my weakness, and I paid for it. Do you really want to repeat that? Ikuko, I care about you too much to let what happened to me happen to you. And you're putting the people you care about in grave danger right now by refusing to relinquish it."

Ikuko panted heavily as she clutched the brooch near her chest. After a few more huffs, she finally broke her silence, "I need some way to protect myself when she's not here. I'm tired of not being able to fight anyone off."

"Ikuko, if you give that to me, I'll promise you that I'll teach you what I know. Give us back the brooch, and you'll have my word."

Ikuko's eyebrows lowered, and her teeth clenched as she saw Melissa's hand out. She suddenly slammed the brooch in Melissa's hand. "Get that sadistic asshole for me!"

"You did the right thing, Ikuko," Melissa smiled as she handed the brooch to Darien.

Nothing else was said as the group left the house and into Darien's car.

'_Melissa,_' Ikuko thought as she shut the door and rested her back on it, '_you better hold true to that. Next person to try to break into my house,_' she snickered to herself, '_will know what a gunshot wound feels like._'

**-xXXXXx-**

As they heard the front door shut behind them, Darien and company were filing into the sports car as fast as they could.

"I can't believe you did that, Melissa," Darien said.

"Yeah. I couldn't believe what I was hearing," Luna added as she jumped onto Raye's lap after.

"I had to think of something," Melissa answered. "What the hell was she thinking?"

"Well, now that we have the brooch," Lita interrupted, "did she really say the Alps were where they were headed?"

"Darien, let me drive!" Melissa ordered.

"What?"

"I know the place they would go to. Only place nearby Rubeus would get privacy."

"The Jinja Shrine," Mina gasped. "We have to go all the way there?"

"After what I saw you do in there, Melissa," Darien replied, "I trust that you have a handle of at least this situation." He jumped over to the passenger side, and Melissa didn't waste any time hopping into the driver's seat and revving the engine. As she was doing that, she pulled out her communicator.

"What are you doing with that, Melissa?" Artemis said as the car sped off.

"Please tell me that tracking thing Casto showed me works on mine, too!" Melissa studied both the road and the communicator screen at the same time, and two seconds later, she yelled, "_Bingo_!"

"What?" Raye asked.

"That's gotta be where Casto was headed to! Darien, hold this for me and tell me the turns." Darien did so without objection. "I'm punching it. You may want a seat belt."

She slammed on the gas and skidded into turns. If they were being chased by police, then no one in the car heard them.

As Melissa was trying to get to the destination as fast as she could, Luna could only look at the woman who might've just saved Reenie's life once more. '_How did you get to be such a great leader, Melissa?'_ Luna thought. '_Either you were lying to me about not being responsible for your actions when you were corrupted, or maybe...maybe Metaria is as strong as Casto suggested. Whatever it is, I hope it stays with you, and that I can trust you like I'm starting to._'

**-xXXXXx-**

"So, Serena," Rubeus grinned, "do you get it now? Your mother has a dark side to her, just like you do!"

"She would never stoop to your level, Rubeus!" Sailor Moon had aimed her Scepter at him once more, and she had every intention of firing away at him. The snarl that she had in her tone only made Rubeus even more concerned.

"She already has. It's no wonder you're so corrupted, Sailor Moon. She's been the bad influence." As Rubeus continued to talk, he eyed his gun while readying a shot in his hands. "You have no idea how badly she wanted to be corrupted and become a part of my cause. How else do you think she was so easy to control?"

"You must be lying! And even if it was the truth, I love her with all my heart, and I would never judge her. Why don't you try going through what you've put her and me through lately? You would know exactly how she feels and why she acts the way she does."

"Trust me, I've went through it with those bitchy sisters. I thought I would never get rid of those four worthless sluts. You know, you should learn from them and leave me alone. You would've never gotten into this mess if you had minded your business. But you continued to be a pest, as always. You wanted to be the hero. You will soon find out that sometimes, the hero _doesn't_ win."

She saw him fire the double shot beam immediately, and she back flipped over it while firing her Scepter beam. He mirrored her dodge move as he continued to fire his black beams repeatedly at her. She tumbled like a cheerleader over towards her Moon Tiara. She was finally able to retrieve it, and she put away her Scepter. '_Yeah, Rubeus. Now I'm ready to finish what I did to that face of yours!_'

Rubeus began to race for the Hizrounswa Gun as he saw Serena go for her Tiara. However, it was the second time he was stopped short, as this time, Moon tackled him and pinned him to the ground. She eyed the small of his back and raised her Tiara above her head. Before she could even react to what she was about to do, Rubeus swiveled his hips over and dismounted her from him. He got up and fired two shots in a row at her. She used her Tiara to swipe away both shots as she bum rushed him, taking a firm swipe as his face. He jumped back to avoid the swipe, and then leaped forward, kicking her in the chest. As she fell on her back, he had soared high and began to come down, trying to stomp on her gut. She rolled just as his feet were about to hit, and sweep kicked him off of them.

"C'mon, Rubeus! You haven't even begun to see how much of a dark side I possess!" Sailor Moon was breathing heavily as she returned to her feet, her stance wide as she allowed Rubeus to get up, as well.

"That growl. That's exactly how your mother sounded when I made her neck meet her coffee table. Though, I think she liked it. After all, she liked it rough in the cabin, now didn't she?"

Moon felt as though she streaked through the sky the second he provoked his innuendo-laced insult at her. She swiped several times in what seemed like two seconds. Though none of the swipes hit, she knew she had gotten her message through: she didn't need to hear about Rubeus' desires for her own mother. Though it was playground insults at their finest, she was more than concerned that he was truthful right now. His insult made her want to kill him for that alone.

"I'm hitting a nerve. Pity that it wasn't in the leg. Aim was good when I tore into Sammy, was it? I think I hit nerves then, too."

Her Scepter materialized once more, and she swung like a designated hitter at Rubeus' torso. "Don't you even dare!"

"I already did. You know, after seeing how much of a failure Ikuko is as a mother, her dark side would actually be the only good thing for..."

This time, she aimed for his head, and she just managed to smack his chin. The blood dripped from the center of his chin, and he had to feel the skin with his hand to know what had happened. "Yes, _now_ I'm seeing the Sailor Moon I saw on Tokyo Hills. Go ahead, try to deny that your brother hates you, or that your mother is a sorry slut, or that your friends would turn their back on you in a second, or that Melissa would give you up in a minute for the Dark Kingdom again. Or try to say that Reenie isn't dead right now! Hell, she hasn't awakened yet. Wonder what's keeping her. Might not be breathing."

Those words made Serena curious about the timing of them. She looked over at Reenie, who was indeed still unconscious. However, no sooner had she turned her head did she have to swipe two beams out of the air. He was able to use those as distractions in order to fire a double shot that raced towards and hit her near the heart. She flew back with the shot and collided with the cave wall, sliding down onto her backside. Rubeus snickered as he immediately jumped over to the corner and retrieved his gun.

"Third time's a charm, Sailor Moon." He smiled as he aimed the gun right at her before firing it. She rolled out of the way. She didn't care what level the gun was on right now. "Well now, let's see. Level five! Damn, Sailor Moon! And to think I was yet to change this since I fired it at your mother. That must mean she would've been hit by level five if she wasn't saved by you. What a shame that I couldn't!"

Moon fired her Elimination from a crouching position, but he jumped over it and fired another shot mid jump. She tumbled out of the way of that shot, as well.

'_This is getting old,_' Rubeus thought. '_The more I try on her to crack, the more determined she is not to crack. Yet, I can sense her anger. It's off the damn scale. How can she keep her composure at that level of anger?_'

**-xXXXXx-**

Casto had already reached the mountains, and this trek was not going to be an easy one from here on out. However, he was going to have to bear it. There were lives on the line, and he knew this as he began racing up the first mountain. He was quickly reminded as to why he didn't do this regularly, as he could feel his leg muscles tense up as he reached the first switchback.

"Can't give up now," he told himself. "Sis, Reenie, I'm coming. Don't let him win."

He feared, however, that he might've been too late as he continued to race up the mountain.

**-xXXXXx-**

"The trace goes straight up two mountains, and into the third," Darien told Melissa, who was speeding along a bridge. They could see the mountains dead ahead. "I hope Reenie's okay."

"As much as I want to say she will be," Melissa answered, "I have a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling."

"Have faith in her, Melissa," Luna said. "Like Venus said, she was the one who beat you, and you weren't easy at all to get through."

"No, Luna, I wasn't that difficult. I'm the one who succumbed to Metaria. I'm the one who allowed all this shit to happen. Hell, none of you would even be here if I didn't..."

"We would've never made the friendships we have now," Lita interrupted. "Maybe it was a blessing disguised as a curse. It was probably a lesson, when you think about it."

"What do you mean?" Amy asked.

"That none of us are invincible. We cannot think that no one can do anything to us, because there's always someone or something that can stop you."

"Yes, Lita," Melissa answered, "that's why you have to be careful. Hell, that's how the Titanic sunk. They actually thought, and said, that God Himself couldn't sink that ship. And that same night, they hit that iceberg and sunk."

"Rubeus is going to meet a damn iceberg in me if he puts his claws on Reenie," Darien growled.

"Actually, Darien, with all due respect, I don't think you're the person he'll need to worry about if he does anything to that kid."

"Melissa?"

"Remember who followed him. I know how you are when you're pissed. I've seen you at your most evil state."

"What's not to worry about that?" Mars asked.

"We know what to expect from him. Serena's anger scares me. I've seen her determined, focused, happy, and sad, but never that angry. I don't know what to expect out of her."

'_The less one has to show their dark side, the more severe it is once it comes out in that person,_' Artemis thought. "We have to hurry, then. If Rubeus does do anything to her, she's gonna go off the cliff."

"I know of a shortcut we can take, but it's a risky trip there. I don't know if they repaired the road or not, so this could be a bumpy ride."

No one was about to object to Melissa's suggestion, even though they were all now hoping that it wouldn't be as "bumpy" as she thought it would be. What she didn't know was that it was one mountain next to the very mountain that Casto was running up. None of them noticed the other climbing towards the peaks.

**-xXXXXx-**

Sailor Moon's hair was a complete mess. She didn't know how those pigtails were not undone. However, with all the fighting that had taken place, she couldn't care less at this point. She was right in front of a man who held a gun, with a crystal that had god-like powers within it, and she didn't know how any of this would end.

"Sailor Moon," Rubeus said, "what's the deal? You have yet to even do anything to me. You cut my chin and my scar, but not my being yet. Even when you're as sadistic as I've ever seen you, you still fail as a Sailor. You can't protect a single damn person or thing."

"You haven't seen sadistic from me yet, Rubeus," she fumed before firing another Elimination spell at him. This time, however, the shade of red was now even deeper. Rubeus flew above the shot, but noticed the change on his way upwards.

'_Now I see how she's showing the anger,_' he thought. '_It's showing through her powers. The redder that spell is, the sicker she becomes. This is perfect._'

On his way down, Rubeus fired another shot from his Hizrounswa Gun at her. She back flipped once more, but on the way to her feet, she launched her Tiara at him. It caught his wrist, though it was at the wrong wrist as he switched the gun to his right hand; it began to bleed along with his chin and healing nose.

"Yeah, Rubeus. Bleed for me," she snarled, "like you made my father bleed on our floor."

"So you're going to just make me bleed to death, is that it? What a lame way for me to die, now isn't it? Though you can't even do that without your brother holding you back, or are you holding _him_ back? He could be so much more, yet you never let him."

"You're something else, Rubeus! It's like you're trying to get me to attack you with your words. You're not like the Doom Phantom. Your words don't hurt me."

'_She has a point. It hasn't been the words at all that have made her unstable, but the actions I've done. Yet, there is one thing I haven't done yet. You'll know soon enough, Serena, the real reason I got you here...if she would ever wake up._'

**-xXXXXx-**

Melissa had finally reached the peak of the mountain and had begun to drive down. It was a shorter distance than she remembered, and yes, it was bumpy by any definition. However, it was worth it, as they finally saw another mountain in the far off distance, though with a small opening inside of it.

"Right there, Melissa," Darien said as he pointed to the tunnel. "That's where the trail leads."

"Thought so. The Fire God himself. Hopefully he'll keep Serena and Reenie safe."

"Rubeus isn't one to just let him stop him, Melissa," Raye objected. "I hope you're right, though."

"This road gives me the creeps," Amy said. "It's bumpy, but also steep."

"Steeper than I remember it," Melissa agreed as she turned a switchback.

"How did you know of this shortcut, by the way?" Luna asked.

"You don't remember this place, Luna? This is near where the Moonlight Course was."

Luna gasped upon hearing her bring that up. "The ski resort where you thought Raye was the Moon Princess?"

"Exactly! That's how I know this place exists. The Course was just to the North of here, in the Central Alps."

"Melissa," Raye began, "why did you think I was the Moon...?"

"Ah, crap," Darien interrupted.

"Ah, crap?" Melissa asked. "That isn't a good phrase to use right now. What do you mean 'ah, crap'?"

"Stop the car and look down there."

Melissa slammed on the brakes—she knew she would hear about that later—and looked to where Darien was pointing. The road ended there, literally. There was one more switchback before the road just dropped off into nothingness, right into a steep cliff that went down a long way. Too long for anyone to survive the fall. "Oh, you gotta be shittin' me!"

"How are we gonna get down, then?" Lita asked. "The mountain is too steep for us to slide down."

"Can our Sailor powers help us?" Amy suggested.

"Not from that height," Luna answered. "The chasm is too deep for us to safely make it down in any way, and without Sailor Moon, the Sailor Transport isn't available."

"You need the Silver Crystal to react to the other powers to be able to even use it at all. There is no way we could even try to have Melissa in place of one of the Sailors if we don't have that."

Melissa wasn't even listening to Artemis' explanation. She was instead looking over the exact chasm that they faced. "We may not need to, anyway."

"What do you mean?" Mina asked.

"I just hope you trust me enough to know what I'm doing."

Without any other words, Melissa maneuvered the switchback, and stopped with the car facing the end of the road. Only two barricades blocked the drop down, though that wasn't what Melissa was eying. Again with no warning, Melissa suddenly plopped a wad of money into Darien's face, on top of the communicator that he was still trying to use.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"Money for the car repairs."

"What car re—oh, my God!"

"Okay, now you've lost it, Melissa," Lita gasped. "I think I know what you're thinking about."

"I saw a road on the other mountain, and if I can hit this incline just right..."

"What incline are you..._woah_!"

Melissa interrupted Raye by slamming the gas, her foot nearly melting into the floor of the car. There was a steep incline on the rock wall that could be used as a ramp to get some air. Her mind immediately flashed an image of her clearing a similar chasm with her snowmobile. She didn't even bother to ask herself how a ramp way could've been made up so perfectly, and at the perfect angle for her. All that mattered was that she used it and got enough speed to clear the jump.

"_Melissa_!" Lita screamed.

"Close your eyes, Lita. This is the only way!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Casto had run up and down the second mountain, and he could've sworn that his legs would just fall off his body. He even transformed into Sailor Vulture in order to gain more strength to get over the second mountain. Someone was going to have to remind him how he was able to do such things, though he knew why: someone was more important than his health right now.

As he cleared a sharp switchback, Vulture got a fourth of the way past the straightaway when he heard a loud roar. "What the hell?" He continued to run when he heard some skidding and the roars getting louder, and now he knew where they were coming from: right above him.

When he stopped to look up, he found what was making the sounds: a flying car that was dropping down right on top of him. "Ho-ly shit!"

He could not have somersaulted out of the way any quicker if he had tried. The car hit the pavement hard, and it began fishtailing out of control, though the smoke from the burnt rubber was still coming off the tires as the car came to a complete stop. Casto recognized the car immediately, only he was not about to guess what it was doing dropping down towards his head.

As he ran to the car, his suspicions were confirmed. It was Darien's car, but in a bit of wear thanks to Melissa's deed of jumping a chasm from a literal road to nowhere. "What in the hell...?"

"Ask her," Darien said as he rolled down the window to talk to Vulture.

"We were trying to take a shortcut to get here," Melissa answered. "That road up there was never finished, obviously."

"Wait a sec," Casto ordered as he was left puzzled, "so you decided to..._jump_ that?"

"Nothing that experience can't handle, believe me!"

"Okay, now I _really_ want to hear about this snowmobile," Amy panted.

"Maybe when we get out of this, I'll let you hear my Arctic Cat purr."

"Did you see the tracker point towards that cave down there?" Casto asked.

"Yeah, and we can't waste any more time. Hop in! Shouldn't take that long now. I'm surprised this thing can still move."

Darien moved to the middle front seat as Casto jumped into the car. "You're gonna tell me how you were able to do that jump perfectly on the way there?"

"Of course, but why now?"

"I need to hear this to believe it, and it would get my mind off of this situation for a minute. I'm scared of what may've happened to Serena and Reenie! Really scared!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Sailor Moon was eying each and every drop of blood that came from Rubeus' face as it made a small puddle on the cave floor. Yes, the sight of it would make any person squeamish, but the more she saw it, the more she desired to see more.

However, as Rubeus held his chin to alleviate the wound, he caught a small glimpse of Reenie beginning to come to behind her. It was a slow process, but her eyes beginning to come open was the only sign he needed.

"You know, Sailor Moon, even now, you're blind to what's going on around you," he said. "You have no idea of what could be happening around you, even at this very second. Your family and friends could be plotting against you, and the things you always thought were true were actually false."

"I trust my friends with my life, and my family is the world to me. You want me and only me. This is between you and me. You don't have to bring my family or friends into this. Why continue to attack my house and my friends?"

"Because, Serena, you know as well as anyone else that they're not really your friends. It's all about that Silver Crystal. It's the source of your power, but at the same time, it's the catalyst of all the evil that grows around you. The Phantom wanted it, aliens want it, Reenie needed it, and even your new friend, Beryl, wanted it. You know, I always was taught that Queen Beryl was a legend in her time for what she did to the Moon Kingdom. How does it feel, Serena, knowing that Queen Serenity was a part of making a legend, huh?"

"You know damn well that Melissa never wanted to hurt anyone!" she snarled.

"Then why did she do it? What was so bad about the Moon Queen that made Melissa want to kill her, huh?"

"I believe her now, Rubeus. It was the same person you call _your_ queen who made her do it. Nothing else."

"Even now, you still try to convince me." Rubeus saw Reenie lift herself up to one knee. "And even now, you're unaware of what goes on around you." He aimed the Hizrounswa gun at her, and shifted the level to the highest point.

"Even if you kill me, Rubeus, they will find you, and they will make you pay for what you've done to me and my loved ones." She widened her stance and positioned herself to throw her Tiara once more.

"You're so pathetic, Serena Sommers. Not only are you blind to what goes on around you, but you're also as deaf as can be."

He suddenly moved his aim on the gun from Serena to Reenie. He saw Reenie struggling to get her bearings straight.

'_Huh?_' Serena suddenly heard shifting of gravel behind her. The sudden change of targets by Rubeus was the last bit of confirmation she needed. "_REENIE_!"

The next few seconds played out in slow motion in Serena's eyes, and probably would for the rest of her life. She couldn't move her foot one centimeter before he pulled the trigger. The bullet sped across like a bolt of lightning, and by the time Reenie realized something was going on, it was too late.

The bullet hit right in her chest, and her scream seemed to echo across the entire world. Sailor Moon watched in horror, as she knew there was nothing she could do to stop him once she finally realized what he was talking about. A million thoughts raced through her mind as he was firing, but she had only one thought once she heard that bloodcurdling scream when Reenie flew into the air and collided back first into the gravel. "Oh, my God! No!"

Serena raced to Reenie's side, and she could feel her knees bleeding, though she was oblivious to pain right now as she held Reenie's head up with her forearm. She could feel parts of her body that were as if they were on fire. However, other parts were as cold as ice. She couldn't find a pulse, and she wasn't breathing.

"No, Reenie," Serena cried, her tears rolling down as she shook her daughter by the shoulders. "Wake up! Please, _wake up_!"

The eyes were open, though Serena could find no soul within those eyes. Those eyes were blank of any life, and her limbs did not move an inch since he shot her.

"No, there's no way! You can't be...! Oh, my God, please, Reenie!"

There was one thing that Rubeus never heard from Serena that he heard now: the tone of her voice. The sadness coupled with anger made her develop a tone that she knew she had never used in her entire life. It cracked and stuttered, in a manner of speaking. However, Rubeus was also looking at the lifeless body that was Reenie. '_Did I really..? Oh, my God! I actually did it!' _He cracked a smile. "You see, Serena. You fail again! The villain wins again! How many times has that been now that you...?"

"Shut up, Rubeus!" Sailor Moon growled. That voice quivered, and it stopped Rubeus dead in his tracks as he saw her stand up. Moon knew the same thing Rubeus did.

"But I proved that you're a failure!"

"No, you're just a murderer!"

Moon pounced on Rubeus, taking him down with her. She pinned him as his gun slid away for him. As he felt her grab his hair and smash his head into the gravel floor several times, he could see that her eyes, as watery as they were, were also beet red. But her mouth was seething.

"You goddamn son of a bitch!" she screamed. "You're dead! _DEAD!"_

He kicked her off of him long enough for him to claw away. However, she quickly got back to her feet and slammed him into the wall, choking him with her forearm.

"_There_ we go, Serena! _That's_ what I wanted to...!"

"_SHUT UP_!" she shrieked. "You _DIE_ here! _NOW_!" She used her forearm to lift him off his feet, still choking him. "That was my own goddamn _DAUGHTER_! She's _DEAD_!"

"Fits her, doesn't it?" he choked.

She responded with two knees below his belt, and then a toss over her shoulder. She continued her assault by mounting him and punching him repeatedly. "I'm tired of you! _DIE_, _RUBEUS_!"

After punching him a tenth time, she grabbed her Tiara off her head, and pointed the sharpest edge for Rubeus' heart. Rubeus saw it immediately, and as she came down with the Tiara, he used a single beam to blast her off of him as he flipped up to his feet. Thankfully for him, it was right near his Hizrounswa Gun. He scooped it up as quickly as he could.

'_I can't believe this. Her anger is unlike anything I've ever seen out of her._' "You'll always be a failure, Serena. Like I told you before, you always lose to..."

Rubeus had to jump over a lunging Sailor Moon, who yelled what he could only call a primal scream. She landed on her face in the gravel, but quickly got back to her feet and looked back at him.

'_I got her now. I would've rather have had Queen Beryl see me kill Reenie, but this will do._' "So long, Sailor Bitch!"

She, however, was chasing after him, and he only had a second to spare. He shot out the wall blocking his path from where he had squeezed into the cave, and flew out of the tunnel. Moon did not give up, however., as she gave chase to him with all the strength she had in her to sprint.

About twenty seconds later, from the top of the room, Sailor Vulture jumped down on one of the higher elevated platforms from a slight opening in the ceiling, only to see the tragic fate of his niece. "Oh, my God, no! _Reenie_!"

"What's going on?" Darien said as he was the next to jump down. He saw Casto jump to ground level to tend to Reenie.

"It's Reenie! She isn't moving!"

"Please, no!"

Each of the other Sailors jumped down one at a time after Melissa entered.

"This can't be happening," Melissa pleaded. "Reenie, this isn't funny! Wake up! I'm not lau..."

"It isn't a joke, Melissa, though I wish to God it was," Casto interrupted as he felt the cold skin that Reenie's body now possessed. "She's..." He sobbed loudly, "dead."

"My...own...daughter? He..._did this_?"

"Darien, I'm sorry. I wish I could say something different."

"That damn Hizrounswa," Melissa growled. "He must've been able to shoot her."

"Some of the body is still warm, but she's definitely dead," Casto continued. "It's the same heat I felt when I was struck with that beam. He must've just done it not too long ago."

"He's still around here, then!" Darien stood up as his eyes scanned the room. "_Rubeus_! _You're a dead man_!"

"I thought he was just trying to scare all of us," Venus said. "I can't believe he would..."

"Me, either," Lita added, shedding several tears along with the rest of the Soldiers.

"Reenie...will never laugh or cry again," Mars concluded. "What does this mean for the future, too?"

"I can't even think about how this affects what happens in the thirtieth century right now," Luna answered. "Reenie could be told not to come back here so Rubeus couldn't kill her, but..."

"No, it's too risky. It'll throw everything off," Artemis answered. "Trust me, I've already thought of the possibility. It'll create more problems for..."

"Rubeus is still here," Melissa interrupted. "I sense him, but he isn't in this room." Her eyes locked on some crumbled rock behind Casto. "Over there!"

"The wall?" Vulture asked before his eyes bugged. "He ran for the hills like the murderous coward he is!"

"Did Serena meet him...?"

"Oh, my God! I forgot all about that, Raye! That must mean that she's going after him!"

Melissa gasped. "She must've actually seen him kill her."

"No," Raye cried. "The way she's been lately..."

"Everyone stay here!" Casto ordered. "I'm going after her. She couldn't have gone far."

As Casto was leaving, Darien called out to him, "No, Casto! Why should we stop her now? Let her do her worst to him! That son of a bitch _deserves _it. I would actually enjoy watching that."

"No, Darien! She's unstable, and he won't hesitate to take firm advantage of that. Trust me, Darien, I want to kill him, too, and I know this sounds like I don't care, but if she walks into another trap...'

"That disgusting excuse for a human being would still be thinking of a way to get Serena," Amy added.

"Exactly!"

"Then let me come with you, at least, Casto," Darien requested. "She needs us to get her to stop long enough to talk some sense into her."

"You five stay here. It'll get too crowded with anyone else going after her." Both Darien and Casto ran off past the crumbled wall.

There was silence amongst the remaining five and the guardian felines. The only sound was Melissa's footsteps when she walked over to the body and knelt next to it. She slowly laid a hand on her forehead, closing Reenie's eyes.

"Melissa?" Luna asked softly.

"At the very least she can rest in peace a little bit," Melissa answered. She rose afterward, walking towards a nearby cave wall. With a loud roar and all the strength she had, she laid a right hand punch to the wall. It crumbled slightly on impact. "I should've tried to kill him then and there!"

"Huh?" Lita asked.

"All those chances I had. I knew Rubeus wanted to kill Reenie, but I couldn't do anything to stop him. No, actually, I probably could have, and I _didn't_. If I had, she would still be..."

"No, Melissa, don't start that," Venus ordered. "All of us had that chance."

"It's partially my fault because I was too damn negligent. I could've kept fighting and chasing him down, and I didn't."

Luna sighed deeply and shook her head as she walked over to Melissa. "No, Melissa. You did all you could, even more than what was asked of you, especially when we've been asking too much out of you to show your loyalty."

"He was trying to kill Reenie from the start," Artemis added, "and he was trying to lure you back, too, Melissa."

The statement made Melissa eyes widen. "It was planned all along."

"Hmm?"

"Had to have been. He wanted to kill Reenie because that was what led me to hate him. I wouldn't let him, and that's what started everything. He wanted to kill her to lure me back somehow." Melissa could feel her teeth clench as her fist shook. "Children as a sacrifice for someone else."

The voices entered her mind once more. "_'These are children! What did they ever do to you?'_" She could only picture Rubeus yelling out "Praise Keishi" before firing his gun at Reenie. It would not leave her mind for a second, even when she shook her head to try to keep it from taking over her thoughts.

"No, Rubeus. I won't let you even try to do this to me again. I made that mistake once already. I won't allow you or Metaria to manipulate me the way she did that day." She closed her eyes to keep her tears at a minimum. "Never again!"

**-xXXXXx-**

Rubeus was mountain jumping once more, and he was in a race against Sailor Moon. He was definitely toying with her by opting to take a scenic route rather than just teleporting away. '_Keep trying, Sailor Moon. I'll always be one step ahead of you._'

However, Moon was not worried about fatigue anymore. She was tapping into the energy reserves that she didn't even know she had, though she didn't exactly care right now where she was finding them. "Get _BACK_ here, you _COWARD_!" she screamed, her voice echoing off of the peaks.

"Heh, she calls _me_ a coward," he told himself. "Who was it that tried to run away from their destiny to be forever scorned as a flaky bitch?"

Serena could've sworn that she jumped twelve feet with each jump, and the adrenaline from her anger was the only thing, she thought, that was allowing her to make such jumps up the mountains. She didn't know what direction she was heading towards, nor did she care.

Rubeus stopped near the peak of one mountain and looked back to see a seething Sailor Moon roar with every jump towards him. "Try as you might, Sailor Moon, but I'm the enemy you _need_ in order to show your true, evil nature. You _can't_ kill me."

"Try me, you son of a _BITCH_!"

'_That tone. The Moon Princess has never screamed that loudly before. I may have done it again!_' He smiled as he continued to jump down the mountain.

As soon as Sailor Moon reached the peak of the mountain, however, someone grabbed her from behind. She tried to shake free, but two sets of arms were holding her tight while she kicked and screamed.

"Serena, _STOP_!" she heard her brother yell.

"Let me go, Casto," she cried out loudly. "I wanna kill him!"

"No, Serena," she heard another comforting voice yell out. "Calm down!"

"_Let me kill him, damn it_!" she screamed once more. The two men could feel evil vibes coming from their loved one. "_I wanna get that son of a bitch_!"

"He's gonna lead you into a trap, Serena! He'll get his!" Casto pleaded. "I love you too much for him to get you, too." He turned Serena around to face him.

Serena, though, gave him no chance to say or do anything as she was slamming her fists into his chest. "_That piece of shit needs to die_!_ I want him to bleed_!"

"_SERENA, ENOUGH_!" Darien roared, his voice breaking as he did so. "I'll make sure you get him, but now is not the time!"

"He killed my daughter, Darien! How can you _not_ want me to..."

"She's _my_ daughter, too! I want to break that man in half, but not now! You're too unstable right now, Serena!"

"C'mon, sis," Casto added, "I don't think Reenie can rest in peace in that cave. Let's go. Here, let me carry you."

Sailor Moon, with no more strength to give, did not object as Casto let her crawl onto his back. She welcomed the chance to rest her legs and feet as she let Casto sink his arms behind her knees and carry her all the way back to the cave. Darien trailed behind him, making sure that Serena kept calm on the way there.

**-xXXXXx-**

Back in her room, the moonlight was the only thing that allowed Serena to see the one thing that she had not written in for months now: her diary. She was at a small table with a pencil, jotting down everything she could think of while recalling all the images in her mind.

As she had recalled the scene back at the cave she remembered them returning to, where Darien had to be the one who picked up Reenie's limp, dead body since Serena couldn't bring herself to do so, she started writing.

"I thought it was so cool to become a super hero, and to be a princess," she wrote. "The Moon Princess. But when I got it, I began despising it. I wanted to be a normal teenager once more. For a full year, I wanted to just go back to my normal life. It was all the fighting we had to do, and for what we were doing it for. I never wanted to do that again, but I was forced back into it. However, even though part of me didn't want to be Sailor Moon again when the Cardigans came to Earth, I felt the urge to protect those I loved."

She could also remember the Sailors following Serena out of the cave along with Darien. Casto was on one side of her, while Melissa, who was still with watery eyes along with the siblings, was on the other. Melissa opted to drive the car so Darien could keep a hold of Reenie, and Melissa promised she wouldn't do any other stunts with the car.

As Serena remembered the events, she continued to write, "I got my chance to be a normal teenager again after we defeated the Doom Phantom. For two months, I had gotten my wish that I wanted back when we defeated the Dark Kingdom. However, the more I lived that normal life, the more I hated it. Somehow, the urge to become the hero I once was struck again. I felt the need to protect those I loved. I knew, also, that I was keeping a secret from them that I couldn't keep forever."

Later on in the night, Serena had to be the one to deliver the heart-wrenching news to her family. Ikuko was devastated as she jumped onto the couch and buried her head into the cushions, Serena recalled, while Sammy ran into his room and slammed the door. Serena stayed on the middle step for ten minutes and gripped the railing like her life depended on it.

"I wished to be Sailor Moon one more time, but when I got my wish, it was not without consequence. My family was attacked, and the man who did it was the same man who has since caused me a great deal of tragedy and anguish. I have never felt such anger before, and I don't want to feel like this, but the more I try to fight my greatest enemy, the more I feel like there is an even greater one within myself."

Her mind immediately focused on Patricia, who had since returned home from her first hearing with the School Authority. Patricia had looked into her comic book collection that she had in the basement, trying to find a certain issue. As she finally found the book, she flipped to a particular page, where the series first brought up the line she had told Serena. She finally remembered the comic she had seen it from: The Amazing Spider-Man.

Serena recalled the line as she continued to write. "Patty told me that with great power, there also comes great responsibility. No power is greater, at least from what I know, than the power I possess from both a crystal and from my friends and family. Though, Rubeus, as much as I want to spill his blood, is correct: every time I've tried to protect those I love; it's always them that get hurt. I seem to always be on the losing end of the battles I have tried to win."

She thought about Casto, who slept on the love seat tonight as Ikuko cried herself to sleep on the couch. Her husband was in bed, and he was the only one who had yet to hear the tragic news. "Casto, I love you so much. You've been there for me when I didn't think you would be. You are always an inspiration for me, and you never gave up on anything you set your heart to. Still, I know that I've hurt you in the past, and I can't stand doing that. I didn't believe you when you first told me you were my brother, but you didn't give up then, and I never want you to give up. Ever! I need you, Casto, now more than ever. I don't think I can understand this anger and hatred for one man by myself. I will never let you leave me again, Casto, and I will never hurt you."

Darien had to be the one to make the morbid trip to the emergency room, and in doing so, he was also the one to tell Doctor Mesta the news while delivering the dead body. Serena didn't really know what Darien was going to do after that, though she had hoped that he was going to be okay. "Darien, I never want to hurt you, either, but I feel like I do so every day. I can't hear your voice as much as I used to, and it pains me to have to do that to you constantly. Ever since my battle with Rubeus began, I've only been able to spend time with you once. It was you who had that dream that made you need to protect me by breaking up with me. Now I feel like I'm doing the same to you, but there's no dream this time. I wish this was only a nightmare, and I would just wake up to my radio playing some music. I can't imagine what it must be for you. You can handle the anger far better than I can. Please remember, no matter what, Darien, I will always be yours."

Melissa returned to her loft and stared up at the ceiling in her bedroom again. However, this time, there was a change: she held the picture of her family close to her heart as she eventually fell asleep. "Melissa, you've had a tortured past that I don't think anyone would ever want. You've been through so much, and have had to pick up the pieces of a life that was used and manipulated by the evil that you still fear. It's a shame some of us actually have to play games with trusting you, especially when Luna was correct in that you've done way too much in order to show your loyalty. I not only trust you completely, Melissa, but I also love you. You've been more than a help to the Sailors, but also a great friend to all of us. You're so brave, and willing to put your health on the line to help us. You do not have to worry about Rubeus forcing you to return to the Dark Kingdom. I will never let them take you away from me."

Melvin had also returned home from the hospital. He slowly walked upstairs to his room, shut the door, and laid in his bed while looking at the pale moonlight. Serena could only imagine the pain he must have felt.

Molly was also at home, though she wished she wasn't there. For the first time in a week, she was able to at least wander around the house. Her mother was in bed, and she peeked into the master bedroom to confirm that she was asleep. Molly had a large, full backpack on her. She walked down the stairs, went to the front door, and began to turn the handle. She was about to leave. However, she only hung her head and went back up the stairs, returning to her room.

"Melvin, Molly," Serena wrote, "I'm sorry I couldn't be there when you needed me the most. Melvin, let me handle those thugs. You shouldn't be fighting them. It isn't you. I know you to be better than people like them, and people like me. You're too smart for that. And Molly," she paused for a moment before she continued to write, "we will all get your mother to understand the situation, and find out how she got so brainwashed by a teacher who made me hate school. If he ever does anything to you, I will kill him. I'm tired of people taking advantage of my friends and family.

"To all my Sailor friends, I'm sorry I let you all down, including Casto. I never should've made you go check the escape pod, Amy. I should've never given you that ultimatum, Raye. Mina, I should take your advice to lay low, though I don't want you to think that you can't trust me to do that. Lita, I need you to be my strength now. Luna, I know you're worried about me, and so is Artemis. I can't understand it, either, and yes, it scares me. But my anger is something I'm going to be living with now. I have a dark side, and the more that I experience it, the more I'm enjoying it...and that's what scares me.

"Sammy, I know you've forgiven my mother, but I'm the one who needs your forgiveness. I should've let you know sooner about my secret. Dad, I hope you won't be mad at me for running past your car like that. I hope you will understand.

"Mom, I love you. I need you. You've been teaching me how to be who I was up until Rubeus attacked us. Then you became so much more than I knew you already were to me. You're the reason I'm still here. You've made sure I kept in line, and I need you to help me. I will not ever let anything else happen to you or our family. That ends now!"

Her mind finally pictured Reenie, laughing and smiling throughout her days of tearing up the house, to her days as Sailor Mini Moon and helping them with the one task that Serena needed her most for: helping with family issues. Serena could feel tears streaming down her cheek as she wrote again. "And to Reenie: I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything. It's my fault you're dead. All my fault. If I had only been more aware that you were coming to! If only I had seen Rubeus aiming for you in time for me to do something! If only I had listened to Melissa and to my mother! Wherever you are right now, Reenie, I hope you can forgive me. I let you down most of all, but I will always love you, and I will never forget y..."

She couldn't write any more, as a tear smacked the paper. She screamed out before clenching the desk as hard as she could. Her nails dug into the table as she tried to stop herself from crying. Finally, she ran completely out of energy, as she collapsed on the desk and fell fast asleep.

* * *

That's the end of War Games.

However, the next part of the Silver Project Saga, "The End Of Innocence", will pick up where this leaves off.

Thank you so very much to youroctober, who has been able to keep betaing my fic despite all of the things that transpired on the way to this point, for her tireless help in this fic. I know I haven't acknowledged her too many times in this fic, but that was only oversight on my part, and I hope that this more than makes up for the negligence of the past times I had a chance to do so.

Read, review if you can, and please stay tuned for "The End Of Innocence". This is only the beginning.

Good night, and good luck.

WAR GAMES

CHAPTER 14

Written by Darkpower

Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)

**_  
**Drillbit and Rubeus transported themselves back to the Dark Kingdom, inside the Black Sphere room.

"Why are we back here?" Drillbit asked with a hint of anger in his voice. "We could've gotten rid of the Sailors and Queen Bitch right then and there!"

"Calm down, Drill," Rubeus ordered. "You know what Metaria wants, and Metaria will not be happy if you lose your cool and do something that is not in her interests. Besides, I think I saw something that could be of some use for us."

Drillbit could not maintain his composure. "You said that before, but you didn't say what!"

"You really think I was going to reveal it to them?"

Drillbit finally calmed down. "Yeah, true!"

"I've only heard about Beryl flashing her eyes on one other occasion, which was when Serena successfully freed her precious Prince Darien from Beryl's manipulation. She was so pissed off then, and she was just as pissed when we offed Pandora."

"It was an honor to put that failure out of her misery, by the way."

"I agree. However, I realized that Beryl could actually be at a point where she can no longer control some of her actions. When the corruption she has inside of her takes over completely."

"Ah! You mean the one thing all living beings possess?"

"Yes! Some choose to embrace it, some choose to accept it, and some choose to fight it. But it's there, no matter how much one tries to deny it. The thing is, some people can control how it affects them, sometimes better than others can. You've seen the crimes these humans commit against each other, right?"

"I've noticed that the people of Juuban have ceased to help their police department, and vice versa."

"That's a form of corruption. There are all types, some of which have yet to be discovered. Queen Beryl had a form of corruption that came from anger towards us because of what we did to Pandora. It's a revenge mechanism type of corruption."

"And you think that if she displays enough of it, she will be powerless to stop us from killing that Reenie girl."

Rubeus let out a wide smirk. "Exactly! We have to do something else to push her to her limit, and then we keep her occupied while Reenie is there. After that, she will be in a state of shock, which will allow Metaria to absorb her energy and be set free."

"But we would have to get her to return to her Dark Kingdom throne, right?"

"Don't worry! Once she sees that she cannot change anything by joining the other side, she will do that on her own. Trust me, she will!"

*********************************************  
The words that Mai heard Melvin say while she was trying to sleep on the couch of the hospital lounge horrified her: "Next time, it'll be either them or me, and I won't quit until I'm dead!"

'_Melvin, please don't,_' she thought to herself after she heard that. She covered her entire body with the blanket.

"You shouldn't be saying that," she heard the male doctor assisting Melvin say. "You know more than anything that your father won't want you fighting now, especially after what you went through."

"I don't care anymore," Melvin answered. "I've been beaten up too many times now, and I'm tired of not being able to do anything about it."

"It was five on one, though, Mel. How do you think one person could be able to overcome such odds?"

That line from the doctor angered Mai, and it was more than enough for her to suddenly shoot to her feet. "No! It was four on two!"

Melvin took a step back as he eyed the tall, purple-haired girl. "You're...one of them!"

"_Was_ one of them, Melvin," she answered. "I'm not going to hurt you. In fact, I hated having to watch it."

"But you were with them when..."

"Like I said, Mel, I tried to get them to stop, but Yumee insisted on assaulting you, and his friends have been brainwashed. I tried to keep out of it because I thought I was going to be next if I showed any opposition, but I couldn't take it anymore. They would've killed you without thinking twice if I hadn't done anything."

"And you want a medal for it, miss?" the doctor mocked.

"Hold on, doc," Melvin ordered before turning back to Mai. "I appreciate you telling me..."

"Mel, I don't expect you to forgive me for anything," Mai interrupted. "I don't deserve it. I just wanted you to know that I didn't have any intentions of targeting you. I don't know my friends anymore, and those I've adopted from other friends know how to get others to follow them. I'm sorry if I scared you."

"You did at first. But...I don't know if I should believe you."

"I certainly don't," the slim doctor answered. "Just hanging around those kids means that you participated in it. You could've just not gone with them."

"You don't know what Yumee Machino is like, then. He's someone that doesn't take no for an answer. He's was going to drag all of us into the fight like his life depended on it." Mai shed a single tear. "One of the kids happened to be one of my best friends, too. Mokoto Nagi. She's had this sick crush on him, and I don't know why. I really don't know why now that this has happened. I don't want to abandon her if I can help it. She's been falling more and more into his spell, and I'm not sure if I can ever get her back."

"Yeah, right! Why don't you...?"

"Doctor!" Melvin yelled. "Mai, I want to believe you, but right now..."

"Yeah, it'll be tough on you. I already saw your father and told him what happened. He and the officer he was with were told."

"With my _father_?" Melvin steamed.

"Yeah. I didn't want him thinking that I participated in that fight, even if everyone else does because I was there."

"You _were_ there!" the doctor barked. "You really think we are going to believe that you couldn't do anything to stop them, especially after hearing that they were your friends?"

"Maybe you should ask that to Mister Koa!"

"What the hell does...?"

"_Wait_!" Melvin yelled. "Mister Koa was there?"

"Yeah. He was standing at that spot where Yumee grabbed you, Mel. He was trying to hide, but I don't think he realized that I spotted him. He just looked on at us killing you, and did nothing about it. In fact, I think he was halfway enjoying it. That was even more horrifying than just what we did."

"Harold Koa?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah! He did nothing about it. I had thought it was a teacher's duty to keep the students of the school he was employed at safe, but I guess I was wrong."

"Now I _know_ you're lying! Patricia was released from the hospital and was to return to her class today!"

"Actually, doc," Melvin answered, "there is something about that that I think you'll be surprised to hear. Patricia is not being let back. Mister Koa is being instated as the new teacher."

"Personally," Mai added, "I could never stand him. No, scratch that...I'm _scared_ of him, and for the wrong reasons."

"Is any reason the wrong reason?" the doctor asked in a calmer tone.

"When you are just assertive, then it's a good fear. But you should be able to trust them, too. I shouldn't have to fear that he's going to punch me as hard as he can. I'm scared that he'll attack someone else now that he has the freedom to do so."

"He always had that freedom," Melvin answered. "However, I believe you now. No one who would want me beat up like this would admit to Mister Koa letting them do it. If he can hit that kid without regret before the Authority goes against the kid with all his scars in favor of Mister Koa, I don't know what else he would be allowed to get away with."

"You serious?" the doctor said. "Even if she is telling the truth—which I still have some doubts after how badly you were injured—how would she know that anything can be done about those kids?"

"I'm going to stay the night, school be damned. That's why I'm here now. I feel horrible for not stopping them sooner, and all I can do now is to try to make things right. I don't know if you'll forgive me, Mel, but I am deeply, truly sorry for my actions."

Melvin only nodded, an action that Mai tried to hide her worry about, before he walked out of the lounge with the doctor.

Mai slowly went back to her couch and curled up into a ball, knees touching her chin, and let out loud sobs. "I need to save Mokoto, too. If Yumee can do that to Melvin, he could...oh God!' She buried her head in her knees for a moment, then looked over at the opposite side of the room. "Yumee, if you ever lay a finger on her, I'll kill you. She's been my only friend, and you're taking her from me."

With no other words, she collapsed onto the couch and fell asleep, forgetting the blanket.

*********************************************  
Melissa Beryl was ready to settle in for the night, and her bed, as cheap as it was, was the best way to do that. It was not just the battle she had tonight, but also the reason why the police and the public were so negligent lately. She knew the town had never been like that, and she planned to find out why. Even if Grandpa had told her, she could not bring herself to believe it.

'_I'm sorry, Pandora. I didn't get the chance to make things right for you and your sisters. May they and you all rest in peace. And I swear to you, I'll get those bastards that took your life from you._'

She looked out her window as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

*********************************************  
"Prisma," she heard as she found herself in a pitch black netherworld. Her feet were flat, as if she was standing on something, but she saw nothing but black as she looked down. The voice, though, was too familiar.

"Sapphire?" she gasped as she twisted all over the place to find who she thought was her former lover.

"Yes, Prisma. You cannot see me, but I am here."

"Please, you don't need to hide from me."

"It's not by choice, and I wish I didn't have to, especially from you."

"I...where am I?"

"You're in a void right now, but don't worry. You're in no danger."

"Why do it this way? I thought you were..."

"Prisma, I don't have much time. You're friends with her now. I have seen it."

"Who? You mean Melissa?"

"Yes. Queen Melissa Beryl, former queen of the famed North Pole Kingdom and the subsequent Dark Kingdom. She questioned her master's trust from day one, and knew Rubeus was not to be trusted."

"She's a kind woman. I didn't know someone who was thought to be so cruel to everyone was actually so kind to her friends."

"She is, and that's how she once was. You must not let her fall back into the arms of the corruption that consumed her. She was filled with hate for something she only _thought_ she had done. Your sisters need to know. The world needs her to help the Sailors understand and fight the power of the Hizrounswa. Everything we were told by the Doom Phantom about the crystal was true. If she is allowed to fall once more, then there is nothing stopping Rubeus from doing the unthinkable. I don't want to live in a world like the one I have seen become our future."

"Why would she want to go back?"

"It would not be her choice. Rubeus is trying to force her, either by making her feed off of her corruption or doing something so drastic that it'll convince her to return. Either way, you need to stop him from getting her back. She's the only one that can help the Sailors battle the Hizrounswa."

"How do you know this?"

"I'm sorry, Prisma. I must go. I've always loved you."

"Wait, Sapphire! How are you contacting me? Please, come back! Answer me!"

*********************************************  
Prisma shot out of bed with cold sweat dripping from her temple. Panting heavily, she took only a few seconds to fully awaken before jumping to her feet, racing out the front door.

Melissa had fallen into a dreamworld when she swore she heard a knock at a door. It was at her front door. She thought someone was knocking on a door in her dream, and she only turned to the other side and grumbled to herself. There was another knock, and this time, one eye came open. She knew then she wasn't dreaming it, and slowly stumbled up and got a purple cloth robe on before walking groggily to the door.

"Melissa?" Prisma asked as she looked at her half-awake friend.

"What's going on, Prisma?" Melissa looked at a digital clock on an end table. "It's three in the morning...wait, three in the...?'

"I have to talk to you. May I?"

"Th...I wasn't even asleep for..."

"Melissa?"

"Uhh..._oh_, yeah. Sure. Come on in!" Melissa stepped back, allowing Prisma to come inside. She quickly closed the door and eyed Prisma's silk green robe. "You weren't planning on coming here, were you?"

"No, and I don't think you were, either."

"Is there something wrong?"

"Yes!" Prisma sat in one of the chairs around the square kitchen table. "I had a dream about Sapphire?"

"Who?" Melissa asked as she sat down across from her.

"From the Black Moon Family. I was...in love with him."

Melissa felt her bottom lip curl down. "I-I'm sorry, Prisma. What happened to him?"

"He was killed by the Doom Phantom because he was trying to tell Diamond the truth. The Doom Phantom was using them."

"Diamond?"

"Prince Diamond. He and Sapphire were brothers, and he tried to warn Diamond of Phantom's betrayal, but he was shot to his death before he could finish what he was saying. It was enough for Diamond to think twice, but that meant..."

Prisma panted heavily. Melissa rose to her feet and put a hand on Prisma's shoulder. "It's okay, Prisma. I know all too well how it feels like to lose someone that close to you." '_Especially when you never even got the chance to say goodbye._'

"I thought he was dead until I dreamed of him just a moment ago. He was telling me about you, Melissa."

Melissa raised an eyebrow. "About me?"

"Yeah. He wanted me to inform my sisters that we have to protect you against Rubeus' attempts to recruit you back to the Dark Kingdom, and that you were the only one that would be able to help the Sailors fight the Hizrounswa."

The shadow queen dropped into a nearby chair. "I'm the...only..."

"I don't know what it means, but he said that you wouldn't go by choice."

"Not on my life. Not while he's there, and not until Metaria is dead."

"He told me he doesn't want to live in the world that he has seen become the future."

Melissa's eyes batted open for a moment as she recalled something Nephlite had told her: "_I was shown a barren wasteland, and I was told that if the Silver Crystal was to shatter, then that world would become a reality.'_"

"Prisma, were you sure it was Sapphire you heard in your dream and not a female voice? I just want to make sure I'm hearing you right."

"I could never mistake that voice for anyone else's. The mere coo of his voice is enough to put me at ease. Though I wanted to see his face. I never got to in the dream."

'_Was Nephlite lying to me about who told him about that premonition? And why would he? Could that be more than just a dream?_'

"Melissa," Prisma asked as she saw her friend's eyes go blank, "are you okay?"

"Listen, Prisma, don't worry about me," Melissa answered as she shook her head. "I know Rubeus is trying to get me back. He's been trying a lot of things to convince me, but he knows now that if he wants me back, he'll have to kill me and drag my carcass back to the throne."

"I still worry, Melissa. He sounded like he was confident that Rubeus was trying something new. Something that you might not be ready for. If we lost you in any way..."

"Stop it, Prisma!" Melissa harked, holding her hand tightly. "You will _not_ lose me! Period! I'm not going anywhere!"

"We all need you, Melissa! You're the only other person we know who has been through the same thing."

"And I'll be here. Don't worry! He's underestimating me if he thinks I can be influenced..." Melissa stopped suddenly as she gasped.

"Melissa?"

"I was...manipulated...very easily."

"What are you...?"

"That's how she got me. When I was at my worst point in my life."

"Sapphire said something about the hatred you had."

"Oh, my God!"

Prisma put her free hand on top of the two hands that were already linked. "We'll be there, too."

"Rubeus may be trying to recreate some low point where I would be easily swayed. Did Sapphire say he knows that I could fall?"

"He didn't say if you actually did or not in the future he saw. He only said there was a possibility."

"That vision that I had when meditating with Gramps!"

"What vision?"

"Some black cloud took me and lifted me up off the ground. I was completely limp and unable to move as it forced me slowly towards it. I could feel my body parts. I wasn't paralyzed, but they refused to move. It was the worst feeling I've ever had in my life. I wanted to move something, but it was like someone picking me up by my head after killing me. I was accepting it back into my life."

"Was it the corruption?"

"My vision...Metaria called it that, too. All I know is that the black cloud had all the voices and images of me and my new friends telling me how much I didn't belong."

"That's the corruption. You saw it visually. It's the accumulation of what you've been through, turning it into what we perceive as evil thoughts, emotions, and actions. No two people have the same exact type of motivation to acquire it, but it's there. You must still feel like you're not wanted."

"In a way, yeah...I don't..."

Prisma laid a hand in Melissa's hair. "You are, at least by us. By me."

"Thanks, Prisma."

"No problem, Melissa. We all love you. I lo...lov..." She suddenly collapsed on the table and began snoring almost instantly.

Melissa slowly took her hand away from Prisma's and slowly picked her body up into her arms. She smiled at the peaceful body as she carried her into the living room and laid her on the couch. She took an afghan and covered her as she kissed her lightly on the temple. "I love you, too, Prisma. I love all of you. If he tries anything, I'll remember what you told me. Never again! You'll always have me."

She never left Prisma's side as she ended up letting her head fall limp near Prisma's and falling asleep herself.

*********************************************  
The radio alarm woke Serena once more around six. There was no music at the moment, but rather the morning DJ's talking it up.

"Did you believe what they were showing, though?" one host began.

"Of course, no one is going to question their motive," answered another. "It's like they can do no wrong. Ever since they began a few months ago, that's the only news outlet Tokyo watches anymore."

"What did they show?" a female host asked.

"You heard about that kid who was beaten half to death in a back schoolyard by five hooligans, right?"

"Oh, yeah, that kid."

Serena rubbed her eyes. "Huh?"

"Well," the second host continued, "Cocilio News decided to just outright show a picture of this kid's face, all bloodied up. They gave that old parental advisory spiel, but it wasn't the graphic nature of the attack that was in question, but that they showed a minor's face without so much as a care for the rules. You just don't do that."

"Fuji never even did that," the first host answered. "They would at least blur the face and keep the identity a secret. They didn't have to show the kid's identity."

"And thing is, they did it twice, and the second time, they decided to give the kid's name, which was even worse. This was, for some reason, a deliberate attempt to get ratings, like they need them."

"It was at Juuban Junior High School yesterday, right?" the female host asked.

"Yeah," the first host answered.

"Yesterday?" Serena asked herself as she crawled out of bed. "It must've been about Melvin! I had to hold Casto back from rushing to the hospital last night. Good thing he's gonna be released today, if what my mother heard is true."

As Serena continued to think, the first host continued, "We have a caller. Line one. Meshi, you're on the air on the Early Bird."

"Yeah," the female caller said, "I don't think it was a big deal that the kid's face was shown. It's about time someone showed what bullying can actually do. Now we can go after the bastards who did that heinous crime."

Serena began to fix her hair as she continued to listen to the first host. "But miss, isn't it irresponsible that this news outlet would just show a kid's face? Now everyone knows who the kid is, and if anyone wants to try to bully him like this in the future, then they will know who to go after."

"And plus," the second host added, "the police wouldn't do anything anyway."

"Aren't the Sailors becoming our police?" the caller asked. Serena fumed upon hearing it.

"You can't expect them to be everywhere, all the time," the female host answered. "Besides, it shouldn't be their responsibility."

"But it is! That thing they took out of our hometown was proof that they would be there at any time to save us whenever they need them."

Serena's fist punched her dresser, though she hoped no one heard it.

The first host continued. "Line two on the Early Bird. Let's see...umm...Rumi's your name?"

"Yes, Takado! I don't get this, and I don't get that first caller. If that were her kid in the photograph, what do you think she would be thinking?"

"From what she was saying," the second host answered, "she would probably blame the Sailors for not being there fast enough."

"Yeah. We're asking way too much out of them. We need to tell these damn police to start handling the crime rate. That was their responsibility. And I don't watch Cocilio News for that very reason. That was uncalled for, and the Japanese Communications Commission needs to hold them accountable."

"But don't you think the public should be held accountable, as well, Rumi?" the female host asked. "We've seen the community in Tokyo and most of Japan pull together when they needed each other before this crisis all started. Now they don't even lift a finger."

"It's because of these lies that Cocilio have fed to us, Sataormi. They've become popular for some reason. They say they are fair, but look at how they report the news. That's a real crime for you."

"Okay," Takado interrupted, "let's go to line three. Mordo, you're on the Early Bird."

"Yeah," Mordo responded, "Cocilio is fair, and it is a shame that Rumi never sees it. They are finally giving truth in reporting in Japan. We've been risking our lives for a long time. It's time for us to look out for _our _families and _our_ necks. The police are doing fine. That's all."

"Okay," Takado responded as the caller hung up. "I don't see what he sees."

"Maybe one of his kids was one of those hooligans," the second host answered with a small chuckle.

"We shouldn't joke about that, but it would be ironic if that was true."

Serena was about to whisper her agreement with Takado when...

"Okay, line four. We have Casto on the line. Early Bird."

"Casto's up this early?" Serena asked.

"Yeah. I've been visiting Japan as a foreign exchange student, and I cannot believe the audacity of that idiot who called. He should be ashamed of himself."

Yes, it was Casto; Serena could hear him from downstairs. She worried that he would wake everyone else up, assuming they weren't awake already.

"Where are you visiting from?" Sataormi asked.

"From America."

"Oh my," Takado answered. "I've heard the media is Topsy-turvy over there, too."

"Yeah. You now have Cocilio News. We've always had Fox News. Same boat, and if Cocilio is anything like Fox is over there, it would be disgusting for them to show that kid's face, but it wouldn't surprise me that they pulled that damn stunt."

"Casto, take it easy," Serena said as if he was in the room with her.

"Didn't surprise me in the least, either," Sataormi said, "and I've never heard of this Fox News thing."

"That kid is a good kid," Casto continued, "and never deserved what he got from that gang. It's like you guys are one of the few that care anymore. It was just like one of my friends told me last night: the public is on some strike until the police fix their efforts, which will never happen. No wonder the Sailors are depended on so much anymore. They are the only ones willing to _do_ anything!"

Serena eyes lit up as she raced downstairs. She knew what was coming next after she heard Casto raise his voice.

"Casto, please!" She could hear herself on the radio.

"Who's that?" she also heard one of the male hosts ask. She didn't know or cared which it was.

"Serena," Casto whispered as he lifted the phone off his ear.

"Calm down. You're going to wake everyone."

"Did I wake you?"

"No, I was already awake."

"Casto?" Takado asked. "Did we lose him?"

"I think he was so passionate he woke the whole neighborhood," Sataromi laughed.

"Well, we'll see if he's still there. In the meantime, we got a good tune right here for those in the police force and on Cocilio News. From Alice in Chains, it's called No Excuses, and it's on the Early Bird."

As the song began, Serena took the phone away from her brother and hung it up. "Don't worry, Casto. We'll be able to find out the truth."

"Nothing is as it seems anymore, Serena," Casto answered as he walked into the living room and sat down on the couch with his sister. "I came here to Japan to find you and to be able to spend time with the one person that took me forever to find again. I didn't expect all this to happen, though. It's like the change just waited for me to show up to happen. It's like I'm the one who caused it."

"You didn't cause anything, bro." Serena wrapped an arm around Casto.

"Yeah, I think I did. Maybe if I left, things would turn back to normal for you and this town."

She grabbed Casto by the shoulder and shook him. "No, Casto. For God sakes, don't ever say that. Even if you somehow were to blame, I would never want you to leave. Losing you would be like a dagger through my heart." Casto could feel her hand clench his. "I love you, bro, and I wouldn't let anything happen to you. You, Reenie, Darien, my family and friends. They are all very important to me."

"I'm surprised you feel that way towards a brother you didn't know you had."

Serena angrily shot up to her feet. "And what the hell was that mind meld we all did? What about when I thought I was gonna lose you after you saved all of us from that escape pod explosion? Do you have any idea what kind of memories I had to endure when I saw you laying there, and I didn't know if you were gonna die? I felt like dying there, too! How could you think that now, after all we've been through now, I would ever doubt that you were telling the truth?"

Casto's froze. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you should be, bro! Why do you think I was trying to stop you from going to the hospital like you were going to last night? I know how you've been, and what you're like. I don't know if brute force is the way to go right now!"

"Listen to you, then, Serena! You can't keep your anger in check, and you want _me_ to, now?"

"Bro, please don't..."

A car horn beeped, interrupting Serena. "That must be Patty. Look, Casto, I know I haven't been the best lately, but you have to watch it yourself. I don't want you getting yourself into more trouble than you could already be. I've also remembered that you tend to get into fights a bit too much."

"But..."

The horn blasted again. "I gotta run. Think about what I said, okay. I'm sorry I got angry, but remember that I do love you." Casto nodded as Serena kissed him on the cheek and smiled at him. She headed out the door while Casto collapsed on the couch.

"She does love you, you know?" he heard a calm female voice say beside him.

"Luna?" he replied as she sat against his leg on the couch.

"She's very concerned that you're getting in over your head. I heard about the tree branch last night and how you almost got crushed by it."

"I didn't know what else to do, Luna. I was trying to protect my friends."

"I know that, but look at it from Serena's point of view. She's been traumatized lately by Rubeus, and she been forced into situations I never once dreamed the Moon Princess would be in. You two also have that teacher that's been bothering you, too."

"Yeah, Mister Koa. Which reminds me: I may want to get ready. Darien's coming to drive me there."

"Wasn't the principal going to?"

"He was, but when we told Darien what was happening, he wanted to go, too, and I want to talk to him, anyway."

"She worked at his orphanage, right?"

"Yeah, if I remember correctly. I think that's why he wants to come with us."

"And...what about Melissa?"

Casto rose to his feet when he heard the question. "What about her?"

"You _do_ trust her, don't you?"

"Yeah, Luna, I do. I have no reason not to."

"You weren't around when we battled her. The things she did, and the people she hurt made so many people incapable of trusting her. I know how Raye felt, because it's tough having to trust your worst enemy. I don't think I ever could trust her because I'm constantly reminded of what happened to the Moon Kingdom."

"I know it's tough to think one thing when you've known something else for years, especially when the event was dramatic. Trust me, seeing the Moon Kingdom being destroyed made me sick to my stomach. Not just because of the idea of it all, but because I ran away, and came back powerless to do anything to stop it."

"But you said you had a different perspective because of where you were at the time. I wish I was able to know you better, so I knew how you worked. I guess I know of something else you and Serena have in common. You can forgive people rather easily for anything. I just don't see how your sister could forgive her _that_ easily."

"There are lot of things that have been going on lately that I cannot understand. Maybe that's why I'm so worried I'm the reason why all of this craziness is happening."

"I don't think it's you, Casto." Luna jumped up onto the couch arm, once more beside Casto.

"I just hope it settles down. I don't know if I could take much more of this. I don't want to see my sister become like Rubeus."

"Oh, stop, Casto! She won't. That's just you being paranoid."

"I guess so," he sighed before looking at the digital clock on top of the television. "Have to get ready. I'll talk to you when I come back down." He walked up the stairs and into the bathroom.

"Why would he think that?" Luna said to herself. "Hmm. 'The future, as you have learned, has not been written yet for any of us.' Yes, Sailor Pluto. I think I know what you mean now. As long as nothing happened that didn't try to alter the future, we would soon be what we saw in Crystal Tokyo. But now that Rubeus survived and has been terrorizing us, things are changing. If Rubeus never survived, Beryl would've never been resurrected and I would not even be thinking about forgiving her. Funny, the way it is, is it?" She curled up on the couch arm and closed her eyes.

Serena walked out the door to meet Patricia, who was about to honk her horn a third time when she saw her pupil. "Serena, I thought you were still asleep."

"Not gonna miss this for anything, Patty," she shouted as she ran over and climbed into the passenger side.

As she was getting into the silver Coupe, however, Rubeus and Drillbit appeared on a roof of a nearby house, concealed from view by a chimney stack.

"So, Patricia was lying to me all along," Rubeus growled. "She _did_ know about the Silver Crystal."

"How do you know that just by looking at this?" Drillbit asked.

"Patricia and Serena have become good friends by the student and teacher relationship. She trusts that teacher with her life, and I had a feeling that Serena also told her about her biggest secret."

"About her being..."

Rubeus snickered at the thought. "And if Patty knows that Serena's Sailor Moon, then she also knows about the Silver Crystal and how to hide it from me. It was the lie that landed that bitch in the hospital, and I would be more than happy to finish the job."

"She lied to you, even in the face of danger? Are you kidding me?" Drillbit pumped his tool hand, revealing a spinning drill. "I'll finish it myself, Rubeus. You just watch as I make mince meat out of both of them."

"Remember, though, Drillbit, we need to lure Melissa and Reenie out of hiding and make them come after us. I need to make sure Melissa sees me kill Reenie."

"I want to off Moon Bitch and this Patty woman, though."

"And you will get that chance," Rubeus finished before a loud cackle. "Trust me, you will!"

*********************************************  
Patricia began steering through downtown Juuban as she and Serena were only listening to the radio.

"I guess that Casto person isn't coming back," Takado said as they came back from the song.

"He got ransacked by whoever was in the background there," Sataromi added.

"He was rather passionate, and I don't blame him, about that. If you just tuned in to the Early Bird, we were talking about Cocilio News' decision to air the face of the kid who got beaten half to death in Juuban Junior High's schoolyard, and I also wonder how other parents view this being allowed to happen to begin with. Not just the airing of the kid's bloody face, but also that the beating just happened without anyone coming to help him, or break up the fight, or anything. That I don't get, along with Cocilio News not having a clue."

"There had to have been someone still there when..." the second host was chiming in when Patricia turned the radio off.

"Patty?" Serena asked as she looked at her could-be former teacher eying the road.

"That would've never happened with me there," she answered. "They would never have even _thought_ about harming Melvin."

"You know?"

"How can anyone not after they showed his face? I tell you, Serena, no one can say that there wasn't anyone able to do anything about that fight. Someone was there to take pictures, so there was someone there to stop it before it got that far."

"How're your ribs holding up?" Serena asked in a frantic rush to change the subject.

"They're feeling better. Every once in a while they begin to act up," Patricia paused to clench her ribs while still steering with her other hand, "like now. But I can handle it. There was one point yesterday when I didn't think I could make it through. It was when I heard about me being fired."

"You're not fired yet, Patty. They're just asking you to resign. You can refuse if you don't..."

"They're not taking no for an answer, Serena. It's either I chop off my own head, or they chop it off for me. They just don't want my blood on their hands. That's all this is. They don't think I'm being strict enough on my students. They never have thought that highly of me."

"Not strict enough? What about you handing me all those detentions for me being so late? Don't they hear of stuff like that?"

"The way they've been with me, I don't think they've cared enough to notice. They think I act too immature outside of my classes to be a teacher."

Serena could feel her teeth clench. "That's absurd. I know I'm not the most mature teenager in the world, but I know when I need to let loose."

"The truth is that they want a guy like Harold in that school. They have for years, and this was the chance they were waiting for. They don't believe a word anyone says about him unless it comes from his mouth, and he lies like you wouldn't believe."

"I swear, Patty, I don't know how much more me, Casto, or my friends can take from him."

Patricia let out a small sigh as she turned a corner. "So help me, Serena, if that man lays a finger on any one of my students..."

"He won't, Patty! In fact, I think Casto has a friend that could help up get..."

"What was that?"

"Oh, I was just saying that Casto..."

"No, I mean I thought I just heard a loud thud." Patricia checked in her rear view mirror. "Not this again. My first real car trip since the day I got injured, and I'm making sure no one's following me again."

"I didn't hear anything," Serena answered as she checked her own mirror. "Maybe a low tree branch or something."

"No tree branch is that low, but I get what you mean."

"Nothing to be con..."

The drill was loud and right next to Patricia's face as it poked a hole right through the roof of her car. It caused her to swerve left and right on the road. Thankful that it was a scarcely traveled street, she pressed her foot hard on the gas pedal. "What in the...?"

"Patty!"

"What is this?"

Outside, Drillbit was hanging onto the roof of the car, even with the increasing speed that Patricia was exemplifying while swerving. "C'mon, cutie! Time to die now!"

"You have to be kidding me!" Serena yelled. "Patty, keep driving! We gotta shake him off!"

"This is crazy, Serena!"

"Just drive!"

Patricia swore that her foot was going into the floor of the car as she pushed the gas as far down as she could get it, only breaking to skid into turns. She didn't have too much traffic to contend with, and so far, no police cruisers, though she was hoping that would soon change.

Drillbit took out his drill hand and swiveled around. His tool hand was facing Patricia's side, and he followed up by punching Patricia's window out and trying to stab her with the drill. Patricia leaned back as quickly as possible, just missing the drill by a mere centimeter.

"_Patty_!" Serena screamed. '_How is he...? Drillbit! Rubeus! Going after her again, are you?_'

Patricia, however, was using the now wider avenue to do sharp weaves through the traffic, hoping to make him fall off into the oncoming traffic that blasted their horns every time they passed her. "Do these guys ever give up?"

"Never, Miss Haruna," she heard the booming male voice answer as she was grabbed by the normal hand. It tugged on her sleeve, trying to make her crash. Serena laid one hand on the windshield and the other on the head of her seat and plowed both her feet into Drillbit's arm with near pinpoint accuracy. The move made him release Patricia, though he was still hanging onto the roof. Patricia could still see his legs dangling down and obstructing her view.

Patricia saw Serena begin to climb out her open window, extremely slowly. "Serena, no!"

"Keep driving!"

"You're nuts, Serena! How in the world are you even doing that?"

Serena didn't answer, only climbing on the roof using talents even she didn't know she had. '_Oh, my God! Yeah, Patty, this is crazy! How am I even able to do this?_'

"You try to stop me, Serena?" Drillbit asked.

"As long as my friends and family are in danger!"

'_This is what someone once told me about you, Serena_,' Patricia thought as she moved into a center turn lane briefly. '_You will risk your life for someone who needs you, and I need you now._'

Drillbit headbutted Serena twice, causing her to almost fall off the roof. She kicked the rear view, knocking it off of the car and into the avenue, before returning and punching him a few times in the ribs. All the time, she had to make sure something was keeping her from falling off the car. It was turning onto several streets, skidding from a breakneck speed right into immediate acceleration.

'_No police yet to check this out,_' Serena thought as she elbowed Drillbit in the back while climbing onto him. '_I don't know if that's a good or bad thing right now_.' She pulled up on Drillbit's head before smashing it into the roof twice. It hardly fazed him as he shoved her off of him with his body. The shove made her lose her grip for a moment, right when Patricia swerved. Serena was lucky enough, however, to grab hold of the insulation rubber of the window. It wasn't too strong, but enough to let her regain her grip as her teacher skidded onto another street.

"Give it up, kid!" Drillbit ordered. "You can't win!"

"If you want to harm her, you're gonna have to go through me!"

"Serena, he's not worth it," Patricia said as she clenched her ribs again while steering the speeding vehicle.

"Don't worry about me," Serena yelled as she dodged a punch. "Just keep driving! Don't stop!" Drillbit continued to punch Serena with his only free hand. '_His other hand must be clinging to the car with that drill of his._'

She climbed back onto the roof of the car and attempted her own headbutt, but Drillbit caught her by the hair and tried to whip her off the car. She held onto his arm, however, and then his leg. He tried to kick her off of him, and thereby nearly smashed her into Patricia's windshield. It was bad enough for her to have to try to see through the bodies as it was, and the thuds only concerned her more.

The third kick, though it didn't do anything major to Serena's body, had a passive effect: it made Serena's communicator, which she still had in her jeans pocket, turn on from the call button being pressed. She didn't feel anything happening, but within seconds of the smack into the windshield—that miraculously didn't break it—the communicator was in the process of a call to someone.

Casto had met Darien in front of his house.

"You look out of it, Cas," Darien called out from within the red sports car.

"Sorry," Casto said as he got in. "I had a bit of a run in with reality."

"What do you mean?"

Casto turned to Darien as the car was put in gear. "Darien, did you ever think about how life for your friends would be like if they never met you?"

"I don't think I've ever thought of that."

"You had to have thought about it at some point. Like, what would Serena's life had been like if you two had never met."

"I guess I couldn't ever think of a life without Serena in it; I wouldn't want to, either."

"In America, there was this Christmas movie, It's A Wonderful Life. This guy's life is on the rocks, and he makes a wish that he was never born, but this wingless angel grants it, and he finds out how much the people around him need him, and he ends up wanting to be there because life without him was so much worse for the people he cared about."

"I think I know what you're saying. Would the events that have taken place happen if we didn't have a hand in the lives of those we have had a part of?"

"Exactly. That's what I was thinking about. I thought that maybe my presence here has caused something major in the space time continuum, or whatever they call it."

"Everyone's presence causes a major shift in time. Everything you, me, or anyone else does changes things. I thought you were the one to think that destiny had a different set of circumstances. That one should choose their own destiny."

"I still believe that. I just think that..." Casto was interrupted by his Vulture Communicator beeping. He answered it, seeing Amy at the other end. "Amy, you rang?"

"Casto, did you get a call on your communicator from Serena just now?"

"No," he answered as he was looking for any indication that he could've had another call, "I can't see anything incoming."

"I got a call, and it is from her communicator, but I can't get her. I just see black and sounds of zooming cars. There's some fighting going on somewhere, too."

"Darien, stop the car for a moment." Casto's wish was carried out, and the car was turned off. "Can you patch the call into my communicator?'

"I think so, but I'm not sure why you never got this call."

"There's a lot of things I haven't been getting lately."

"Okay, Casto. I got it. You should have it on your flash storage."

Casto pressed a few buttons and accessed a personal data bank that was on the communicator. The only file on it was a sound clip that was dated as only ten minutes ago. As he opened the file, he heard loud clashes, screeching tires, honking horns, and ambient noise. "It sounds like my sister's voice, but I can't make it out for sure because of all the other noise."

"The news was saying something about some calls to the police that someone was driving like a maniac with a few people holding onto the top of the car like some movie stunt was going on. No police are in pursuit yet."

"Why am I not surprised?" After Casto was finished rolling his eyes, he turned the screen back to Amy. "Is there any way you can trace where the signal is coming from?"

"It'll take me a few moments to triangulate her position, but it should be possible." Amy began tapping some buttons on her Mercomp, and after a few seconds, cheered, "There we go!"

"I don't think you did it, Amy," Darien responded as he looked at the Vulture Communicator and saw the same thing Casto saw: "The position is jumping all over the map."

"That's what I'm getting from the...wait a minute! You don't think Serena is one of those..."

"Amy?" Casto asked, though his eyes widened.

"I'll call the other girls. You find that car!"

"Serena's done some outrageous stuff in the past," Darien said, "but I don't know about this one. Why would she be on the roof of a car with...?"

"She was in Miss Haruna's ca..._two people_!" Casto gasped. "Oh, my God! Rubeus must've found out and sent Drillbit after her. Darien, floor it!" Darien revved the ignition and sped off. "Vulture Medal Power! Suit up!" He prayed that no one was paying attention to what was going on inside the car, assuming they could see enough to know that anything _was _going on inside of it. '_Serena, please, don't hurt yourself like this. I love you too much to see anything happen to you._'

*********************************************  
Serena continued to kick and scratch at Drillbit with whatever limbs she wasn't using to hold on. She began to feel her elbows scrap across the metal.

As Patricia turned onto a street that had an incline to it, Serena tried to crawl up to where she knew she had a chance to dislodge her enemy from the car. However, Drillbit punched her just as the incline began. They both slid down to the back window, and Serena found herself pushing her toes against the rear bumper.

"Serena!" she heard Patricia yell.

"Keep your foot on the gas," she yelled. "If I fall, I'm taking him with me!"

"Oh, no you don't," Patricia growled beneath her breath. "This time, I get you back for these ribs." She shifted the gear a few places angrily, making her car go even faster. Serena could feel the pins holding her pigtails together begin slipping from the wind, and it was a wonder it didn't carry her along with it at this point. Patricia finally reached level ground, but screamed out to Serena, "Hold on, Serena!" She found an old junk car, or at least one that she considered to be one, and crashed into its side. Her speed coughed slightly, but she was able to soon regain her top speed. Drillbit had to cling on to both sides of the car to keep from falling off from the sudden collision.

"You bitch!" he growled as he pounded a fist onto the center of the roof. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"She did," Serena answered, "and _this_ is on purpose, too!" She fired a straight shot at Drillbit's face, and the drill hand that was in the side of the car was all that kept him from falling completely off. He flailed his legs quickly to regain his perch as the two jockeyed for the coveted position.

*********************************************  
Melvin and his father were walking out of the hospital with the same doctor who had assisted Melvin the night before.

"Now," the doctor said, "we'll need to see him in a few weeks to take the stitches out. Other than that, he should be fine from a physical standpoint."

"From an emotional one, though?" a troubled Mai said as she came out the automatic doors.

"That's for the stars to decide, I guess," the slim doctor said as he saw her. "I can't say that I trust you're sincere just yet."

"I think she is," the officer who was still on duty from the day before said from his police cruiser. "She sounded like it last night when she was telling me about that kid who orchestrated the attack."

"And you're not going to do anything about it?" the doctor asked.

"I'm just one person, but believe me, I'm going to do what I can to make sure he has at least _some_ justice."

"Better than none," Mister Gurio answered. "Thanks, officer..."

"Gumpi! Officer Tato Gumpi!" Gumpi lent his hand out to Gurio.

However, as Gurio was about to shake his hand, they all heard a loud revving of cars, one zooming past for what seemed like a mile a second.

"What the...?" Gurio gasped as he retracted his hand.

"That was weird," the doctor added. "Looked like there were two people on the top of the car!"

"At that speed?" Melvin chimed in. "How are they still able to cling to the car like that? That defies all laws of physics!"

The officer was about to answer when another car zoomed past the hospital building, just as fast as the first one. He was already on his radio when the second car shot past. "This is Officer Gumpi! I got two cars in what looks like a chase. Are there any other officers in pursuit?"

"Why is he...?"

"Standard procedure, Melvin," the doctor answered. "He'll be in the way of the chase if he joins in on something that other officers have a handle of. Though I don't think..."

"I'll have to go!" Gumpi said. "Not even an answer. I guess they went down back roads or something, since they didn't even have a clue anything was going on."

"That's insane!" Mai yelled. "And if they went through the heart of downtown without even anyone taking a goddamn peak?"

"That's a very good question I _will_ be asking the chief once I take care of this. I've already notified the hospital security of the situation, just in case." Without another word, Gumpi climbed into the car, turned on the sirens, and with a quick rev of the engine, sped off in pursuit.

"I can call my dad to see if there was anything said on the news today about this," Mai said. "I can also see if he'll come here and keep watch other Mel."

"But we can't trust..."

"You're gonna _have_ to, then, doc," she said in a mean tone. "I don't know what to tell you to make you happy, but I'm at fault for putting him here. The least I can do is to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"I can take care of myself, though, Mai!" Melvin scolded.

"Not in your condition, Mel. If Yumee is still the way I saw him yesterday, he's gonna want to finish the job. Let us help you, Mel!" She walked inside the hospital.

"She's got a good head on her shoulders, I think," Mister Gurio said. "She just got caught in the wrong crowd and was afraid to break off. I trust her."

"Yeah," the doctor answered. "Maybe I'm just being too stubborn about her." '_Though I don't know if I can trust her to be successful in her attempt._'

"Step on it, Darien!" Vulture ordered. "We're losing them!"

"Trying my damnest, Cas," he replied, "but I didn't know Patricia could drive like this."

"Wouldn't you if there was a weird guy with a drill for a hand trying to put a hole in your body?"

"True! Hang on!" Darien slammed on the gas, with the car going even faster than before. "You probably could just use your power to..."

"_No_!" Vulture screamed. "Not yet. I need to have a good shot at Drillbit to be able to blast him off the car. I need to be in or on a moving vehicle to get the shot."

"I see!" Darien continued to try to keep up with the silver Coupe. He saw Serena and Drillbit battle to knock the other off of the vehicle. "Can't believe Serena's actually staying on that thing."

"I've been having a hell of a time believing most things anymore, man!" Vulture eyed the roof of the sports car, where a small window pane was. "Can you open this up? I think I'm going to do something that not many will be able to believe."

"Okay," Darien answered as he pressed a button on his dashboard to slide open the faux sunroof. "But what do you mean by that?'

Without another word, Casto rose up through the sunroof, putting his feet on the seat of the car.

"Ah, crap," Darien sighed. "Sailor Vulture's up to his old reckless ideas."

"Reckless? Maybe! Necessary? You bet your ass! I need you to get just a bit closer."

Serena had delivered a hard forearm to Drillbit's rib when she noticed her brother come out from the sunroof of a very familiar looking vehicle. "Darien? Casto?" she whispered.

"Hold on, ma'am. We're gonna get you two to safety." '_I don't know if she told Miss Haruna yet, but I don't want to take the chance if she didn't._'

'_Ma'am? Bro, you know better than anyone that I would let the world know that I'm Sailor Moon before my friends get hurt. Why are you bothering? Hell, why am I..._'

"Vulture..."

Casto was about to finish his call when he heard loud sirens behind him. He twisted his body around at his waist to see a solitary police cruiser giving chase to the two vehicles. Sailor Vulture stopped his call and dropped back down into the seat. "Shit!"

"Now what?" Darien asked.

"Police picking _now_ to do work?" The sirens got louder in a hurry, and Vulture looked back through the tinted window to see the cruiser right near their bumper.

"Why is that a bad thing?"

"The way they've been lately, they will think we're trying to blast Serena, or that we're the ones chasing all of them."

"I think you're just being paranoid about things."

"Every time I'm around, something bad happens, Darien! So many have gone to the hospital after they've met me, so many have lost friends while I'm around." Vulture sulked as he looked away from his friend. "I'm bad luck, Darien, and this is another way to prove it to me."

"You know that isn't true, Casto!"

"Yes it is, man!"

"_No_!" Darien screamed. "Bad things happen! That's life. Most of the time to good people. It's true that a lot of bad things have been happening lately, but more bad things will happen if you don't act. You were about to risk your neck for your sister until you saw the police coming. You need to show them that you're not going to hurt anyone."

"I've seen the hospital too many times. I don't want to have to visit any more of my friends and family in that damned place."

"And you won't, but you're letting things happen by not acting! That's my girlfriend on that roof, God knows _how_ she's able to hang on. That's your sister, the one person who could cry for your pain when you could not, and who came to you to scream for her when she could not. She needs you now!"

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You haven't been the last minute man you used to be."

"What do you think I'm doing driving my car like a maniac? Screw the police car! Prove that it's not your fault!"

Casto took a few deep breaths before jumping back up, standing on the seat. "Get closer!" He crossed his arms. "Serena, get back!"

Inside the first car, Patricia could hear a faint voice. "Who's there? That sounded like someone I know, but those sirens are drowning him out."

"Vulture!" Casto paused for a moment to look back at the police car before turning back to his sister. "Attack!"

The shadow vulture could not have been any more accurate. It hit Drillbit in the face, making him fly towards a small wooded area and off the car. Casto jumped back into the car as they saw the car in front of them suddenly begin to skid.

"Patty!" Serena screamed.

"What was that?" Patricia yelled out.

"Keep control!"

She skidded sideways on the back road and towards the shoulder. She finally stopped the car, though it now pointing in the opposite direction of where the lines permitted.

Darien answered by slamming the brakes and skidding himself perpendicular to Patricia's car. The police car made a clean stop, with the sirens fading out.

"_Serena_!" Vulture yelled as he rocketed out of the car to see that his sister was no longer on top of the vehicle. He turned around and began running when Officer Gumpi blocked him.

"The hell? Someone is in danger! Get out of the..."

"She went into the woods to look for that...thing," Gumpi said as he pointed towards the trees. "I didn't see where she went after that."

"Why were you...?"

"Just go find her! I'll look after that woman for you. Looks like you had just cause for going the speed you did, though I don't know if I could start explaining the things I was seeing to my partners. Go ahead!"

Vulture nodded and ran off into the small forest. Gumpi walked over to the car, where Darien was looking over an unconscious Patricia.

"Sir, I'm sorry!" Darien pleaded. "She's a..."

"She'll be fine. Should wake up here in ten minutes or so. I see this all the time." Gumpi looked back towards the forest, then to Darien again. "Was that a Sailor?"

"Yeah. He asked me to help him catch up to this car. I wasn't intending to just speed through..."

"Darien, I heard about that call they got from you the other night."

Darien's eyes lit up. "You did?"

"I need to have a talk with the chief. Seems as though no one even knew this was going on. Hard to believe, but I agree with you that we need to get our act together. Name's Tato Gumpi of the Juuban Precinct."

"Darien Shields." The two shook hands as they heard Patricia grumble. "Patricia!" Darien ran back to his friend, laying a hand on her shoulder as she came to.

"W-What happened?" she asked.

"I'm Officer Tato Gumpi, one of the few officers still doing their job here in this precinct."

"Darien?" she asked. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Patricia. I never did thank you for taking care of me while..."

"Don't worry about it, Darien," she answered. "I've never asked for anything in return except for you to find a good, loving family. I hope you did." She shot out of her car and looked around. "Where's Serena and that monster?"

"She chased him into the woods," Gumpi answered. "That Sailor Vulture guy did, too. Didn't know there was a male in that bunch. He was hitching a ride from Mister Shields to chase you guys down."

"He was...riding with _you_, Darien?"

"He asked me to, and I couldn't say no to a Sailor, especially when it was about Serena."

"She'll be fine," Gumpi added. "I asked Vulture to go after her while I watch you, Miss...wait, you're Patricia Haruna, aren't you? That teacher."

"Former teacher," she answered. "I was going to a hearing against the School Authority because they wanted me to resign."

"_What_? But my daughter loved going to your classes last year. She was begging the principal to put her in your class this year, but all of them were full by the time she asked."

"It's a good thing, though. This sub is trying to...ugh!" She nearly collapsed on the trunk of the car as she clenched her ribs.

"Miss Haruna!" Gumpi yelled as he rushed to her side. "Did you injure something when you crashed? Do you need medical assistance?"

"No. I'm fine. I was attacked some time ago, I was told these pains will happen for a few weeks. I just wish they would find another time to hit me."

"Attacked? When, and by who?"

"A week ago, and by a monster similar to the one Serena chased after."

*********************************************  
Serena followed after the footsteps she heard in the distance as she traversed across the leaves, twigs, and branches that littered the forest floor.

"You're not getting away from me this time, Drillbit!"

She ran across a tiny stream that only came to her soles, though just as she came out of the water, she heard her brother shout, "Serena! Wait up!"

"Casto?" she said as she stopped on a dime.

"Where is he?"

"Right here, Vulture Amateur!" taunted Drillbit as he dropped down and struck him in the arm with his wrench. It made Vulture drop into the water, soaking his clothes. He stood up, though he found that being drenched made it harder to move, and lunged at Drillbit with a straight punch. Drillbit dodged it and fired an electric beam out of his tool hand at him. It made him fall backwards into the stream. As he began to sit up, he could hear the roaring sounds of a chainsaw coming closer. He saw Drillbit closing in with the chainsaw running in the same hand that shot out the electo-bullet.

"Haven't you had enough of failing every single time, Vulture?" Drillbit yelled as he raised his chainsaw. "Now, how about I save everyone the trouble of putting up with you by slicing you into chipped vulture? Time to d..."

"Moon Tiara! Magic!"

"What?"

The tiara struck Drillbit right in the mouth. As he staggered back, Sailor Moon jumped down in front of her brother.

"Serena? I didn't even hear you transform!" Casto gasped.

"Drillbit, it's time to put you out of your misery," Moon growled. "You will not win! Not this time!" She brandished her Moon Scepter.

"Not that easily you won't!" Drillbit swung down with the chainsaw at Moon. However, Moon blocked it with the handle of the Scepter. The Scepter was sparking gold as the saw was bearing down on it.

"Serena, no!" Vulture screamed. "He's not worth it!"

If Moon heard him, she ignored the plea as she gritted her teeth while standing her ground. She could feel the Scepter beginning to slip out of her hands, though she didn't budge. Her feet were planted flat on the forest floor, and she grunted again and again.

"Give it up, Sailor Moon! Even if you do win this battle, you're losing the war," Drillbit ordered.

"I will always protect those that are important to me. I don't care how much bad luck my brother might bring for me, as long as I have him in my heart. You will not take him from me."

"But your friends continue to be taken to the hospital! You will be visiting the morgue a lot more if you keep it up!"

"And Rubeus will pay if he even thinks about it!" Moon drilled her foot straight into her enemy's torso, causing him to reel back. It caused all the separation between Drillbit and Moon that she needed. "As for you, I told you that I was tired of you messing with my friends and family, and my friends _are_ my family!" Her eyes narrowed as they darted towards Drillbit, who had hit a tree trunk and was still recovering from the kick. "Moon! Scepter! Elimination!"

The attack was quick, though, and for the first time that Sailor Vulture could remember, the magic was also more fierce than in the past. It was as if the anger that Sailor Moon held within her was being shown by how strong her magic had become. Drillbit's entire body burst into flames while his black soul plunged out of him and into nothingness. The melting of the metal that made him became nothing more than a slight burn in the grass that covered the ground of the forest.

Sailor Vulture finally got back to his feet and ran towards his sister. "Sailor Moon?"

"We finally did it," she replied. "We finally got him!"

"Those weren't gold sparkles and moon crescents. Those were..."

"Red, I know!" Serena turned to her sibling. "I don't know where that came from, but I can worry about that later."

"I don't know if it can wait for too much longer," Vulture objected. "If there is something wrong with your magic, you will have to inform Luna."

"Casto, you trust me, don't you?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I do."

"Then listen to me." Moon walked over to the black blades of grass where Drillbit once stood. "One, I meant what I said. I would break a thousand mirrors if it meant I would not be separated from you again. I don't think I could've ever been able to contain my anger for this long if I didn't have someone looking out for me like you have."

"But I..."

"But nothing, Casto! For the first time in my life, I feel as though I am fighting for something other than the world's survival. This war between me and Rubeus was made personal because he attacked my family and nearly killed my dad and Sammy. This is the first time I've ever felt like this. Something inside of me is trying to tell me to stop. It's trying to say that I'm going to do something to someone that I will regret for the rest of my life. But there's something else inside of me that's saying that this is what I have to do now. I have to do things by any means necessary. I need to protect the people I love, and now that I know what lengths he is willing to go to hurt those I love, I have to become someone I never thought I could be."

"But you don't have to stoop to his level, Serena! I can understand the change in attitude, and the stronger attacks. But you've been acting out of rage, and that's what he wants you to do. He's already got you where he wants you."

"That's why I have to ask you of something, Cas."

"Anything, sis."

"That moment in the pyramid, the time I held a gun in Rubeus' face, the time in the school, or the other times that I cannot remember. They scare me, but at the same time, they give me more power. It's like I'm finding out what I'm capable of, and while I want it to stop, I don't want it to go away. That's why I need your help. I need you to step in if something were to ever happen that could make me go off the deep end, because if something like what happened today happens again, I don't know if I can hold it back anymore. I've forgiven people way too many times. I can't forgive Rubeus for any of this. Not anymore. That's why I need your help. You know how to control it. I don't!"

Casto sighed before nodding. "Okay, sis. I'll do my best."

"I'll follow you out. Can you check to see if Patty is all right?"

"Sure!" He ran off, transforming back on his way.

Moon kicked the dead grass. "Yet, Casto, part of me actually is enjoying this. Seeing Drillbit melted down was something that gave me a smile on my face. Part of me doesn't want you to ever stop me. I want to beat Rubeus, but I want to do more than that. I want to make him bleed. Yes, I said the truth, Casto. I've never felt like this before. This is what I've been wishing for: a reason to be Sailor Moon again. Thing is, this time, I can't stop until I get my revenge." Her lips quivered as she suddenly stomped hard at the dead grass. She couldn't stop for a full minute. Her screams were muffled by the forest, but they were loud enough to hear from within at the same time. Casto must've been out of the forest to not hear her. Either that or he was just letting her vent. Once she was finished, Moon sighed deeply. She transformed back into Serena, and walked out of the forest.

*********************************************  
"Is she okay, Officer?" Casto said as he returned to the road, stopping to let a driver go past before crossing.

"Yeah," Gumpi answered. "Patricia is going to be okay. She told me about the rib injury. What about that thing that took off?"

"Sailor Moon took care of it. He won't be bothering Miss Haruna anymore. Me and Serena both saw her suddenly drop in and make quick work of him."

"I thought they would be rather angry to hear that the police want them to fight crime for us."

"Still, officer," Darien interjected, "that doesn't mean they can rest. But where's Serena?"

"Right here," they heard a voice call out. They saw Serena crossing the street as they looked over.

"Serena!" Patricia cheered while holding herself. Serena responded by lightly hugging her.

"I hope I'm not hurting you by hugging you like this," Serena said.

"Even if you were, I wouldn't mind it at all. I'm glad to see you're okay."

"I've got a question," Gumpi said. "How did you stay on the roof of the car while you were doing those things?"

"Not sure," she answered. "I didn't know I could do those things. I'm glad whatever teaching I had paid off."

"Nothing _I _taught you," Patricia answered.

"Just...promise me you won't ever do that again," Darien pleaded.

"I hope I won't have to," Serena said. "Officer, does this mean...?"

"Yeah. You're free to go now. You should be commended for your bravery, ma'am." Gumpi turned to Casto and Darien. "By the way, I am going to be trying to get something started within the department to change some things, because it's obvious after today that something does need changed. Keep bringing it up. We need someone to speak out."

Darien smiled as he nodded. "Thanks, Officer."

"No problem. But I think what will be the most telling is if the Sailors come out and address to the public what is going on. The people trust the Sailors, so they should be the ones who tell them that they need some help. If any of you see them again, be sure you tell them that. I'll see what I can do on my end. I have to get back to the hospital to get some paper work straightened out. You folks stay safe now." The others waved to Gumpi as he got back into his cruiser and drove off in the other direction.

"Hopefully that means there's going to be someone raising a red flag," Darien said.

"Serena," Patricia interrupted, "we need to get going. You thought I was tough on you for being late! Wait until you see these idiots if we're late for this hearing."

"Oh, damn! That's right! Though I think they'll understand," Serena answered. "That is, they _should_ understand."

"Yeah," Casto added. "Let's go."

Serena got into Patricia's car, and Casto into Darien's, and they all drove off.

However, unbeknownst to everyone, sitting on a tree branch on the side of the road high above was Rubeus. "Damn it! They got Drillbit! And that bimbo Patricia never got the hint that Serena's the Moon Broad. She's not that bright for a teacher." He punched the branch hard. "This stuff about killing Reenie to get Melissa to become depressed has gotten on my last nerve. Nothing is working. Reenie never showed up. None of the Sailors did, either. Maybe they knew something was up." Rubeus' eyes narrowed. "Yes, Queen Beryl! You were right on one thing: I don't know why I'm trying to get you back. I'm sorry, Metaria, but I think it's time we just make the statement. If it wasn't for the prerequisites, I would have killed Reenie by now. Just you wait, Serena!" He disappeared from the branch.

*********************************************  
Metaria, within her egg in the Dark Kingdom, heard Rubeus' words. A heavy stream of bubbles rose within the orange object.

"No, Rubeus! I can't tell you how foolish something like that will be. Beryl's energy when equipped with that tiara is without rival. We need her to come back so I can absorb her and break free. Did your own rage make you forget what we have to do? If I lost you, then any plan I had will be foiled. I'll be dependent on my Youmas. We can force her here if we must. I don't care anymore. The Sailors have been a pain in our asses long enough, and I feel your pain. Just don't lose sight of our goal. Reenie must be dealt with, but it isn't my top priority! Maybe Serena's rage isn't the only one I must be concerned about. Rubeus is all about anger. If only I was free."

A few more bubbles rose from within the egg.

*********************************************  
Officer Gumpi returned to the hospital to find another officer there. This time, despite him now being in the same type of uniform Gumpi had on, he recognized him as Mai's father.

"Akiaba?" the officer asked.

"I came here to ask my daughter what she needed from me, but I couldn't exactly triangulate where you were."

"It's a long story."

"Was it taken care of?"

"Well, the speeding parties had their reasons, so yeah, it was dealt with. No arrests were made, though I'm glad you're here now."

"Why?"

Gumpi let out a loud gulp. "I have a suspicion that we're going to have to do something about this, man."

"Huh?"

"Nothing on the radios, and nothing telling us that anything was going on. Do you see that as weird?"

"Yes, but what can we do?"

"Take action! I think it's time we mutiny!"

*********************************************  
The School Authority Hall had solid white plaster on the walls of the room that looked as big as a small courtroom. There were scone lights on the walls in between each of the multi-pane shaded windows and at the back of the room, behind the bench that could hold at least ten representatives easily. A double door was at the center of the wall opposite the Authority Hall's bench, and its length made it halfway towards the ceiling. There was a pathway to the tables in the center, and spectator benches on either side. There were various people on those benches as Serena and Patricia entered the Hall.

"They allow people to come in and watch these things?" Serena whispered as she eyed the hand-painted portraits of various board members who had passed on that hung along the wall behind the committee of ten.

"Yeah. They don't think they have anything to hide, even when they do."

"Miss Patricia Haruna," a creaky-sounding older male harked. "You were supposed to be here a half hour ago. I didn't think you would even show up."

Patricia's attention deviated to the pudgy, balding man that sat to her left on the bench. "I'm sorry, Mister Koppa. We had a run in with the police."

"Police?" a bold female asked. "Is that the best excuse you can come up with? I mean," she chuckled though her ruby-red lips, "not only would they be non-existent in this city now, but that could only tell us that we were right in removing you."

"Miss Hanoi, we were the victims today, not the criminals. Please stop judging me before I even make..."

"It's not your place to be telling _us _what to do at any time,' Hanoi interrupted. "If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who requested this hearing. We didn't have to give this to you."

As Patricia and Serena both walked down the polished wood floor and to the brown desk, the male in the center, a mustached male with a buzz cut and a towering figure harked, "Now that you _are_ here, let us begin, Miss Patricia Haruna! I, Head of Authority, Mister Roku Uematsu, will begin this hearing on your potential forced resignation."  
**_  
**And, thus, it has begun.

Good night, and good luck.


End file.
